CHENNAI: If you thought DMK working president M K Stalin has taken total command of the party, think again. His siblings haven’t reconciled themselves to being purged or pushed to the periphery of the party.
Take the recent unscheduled visit of Prime Minister Narendra Modi to the Gopalapuram residence of party patriarch and former chief minister M Karunanidhi. Rajya Sabha member Kanimozhi is said to have been instrumental in facilitating the visit.
Stalin, who was on an overseas tour, got to know about Modi’s arrival only at the eleventh hour. He had to rush back home after cancelling certain events to avoid the embarrassment of not being present on such an important occasion. That was a big point Kanimozhi scored over Stalin.
His elder brother M K Alagiri, who was chucked out of the party a few years ago, is also trying to get active. He made his first visible move by writing to the PM thanking him for calling on his father, much to the chagrin of Stalin. Having been a Union minister in the UPA, Alagiri is said to have developed a good equation with a senior BJP leader and Union minister.
Once described as the strongman of the South in the State, Alagiri shared his itch to return to active politics on Sunday. “If the party leader wants, I will be back in active politics,” he told reporters at Chennai airport.
DMK sources say he might push for re-entry with the support of those family members who are opposed to the domination of men in ‘Chittaranjan Salai’ (Stalin’s residence).
Kanimozhi too does not want to be Stalin’s doormat any longer. After being sidelined for long, she managed to force him into include her on the list of personalities leading the stir against demonetisation on November 8.
“Kanimozhi remained silent in the past when she was denied the opportunity to attend meetings of the party’s top brass. But now, she has begun to fight for her rightful place in the organisation,” a senior leader of DMK told Express.
In sum, Stalin is facing challenges from within he cannot afford to take lightly.
New-look glasses for MK
Chennai: DMK president and former Chief Minister M Karunanidhi has begun to wear a new-look spectacles different from his earlier one having thick black lens hiding his eyes. But the new glasses look almost like normal, making his eyes visible to others. After several decades, he has changed to the new-look spectacles, sources said. He has remained indoors at his Gopalapuram residence for more than a year now due to ailing health.