CHENNAI, January 6, 2013
Yes, Stalin is clear choice for DMK chief
B. KOLAPPAN
The Hindu DMK president M. Karunanidhi having a word with party treasurer M.K. Stalin at a meeting of the party's Districts Secretaries in Chennai on Sunday. Photo: M. Vedhan
The Hindu Photo Library File photo of DMK chief M. Karunanidhi with his son and party leader M.K.Stalin.
Ending all doubts among his party cadre about a possible succession conflict in future, Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam president M. Karunanidhi on Sunday unequivocally said his younger son and party treasurer M.K. Stalin would be his clear choice for the party leadership after him.
The octogenarian DMK leader’s announcement stymies his older son, Union Minister M.K.Alagiri’s claim to the party leadership.
DMK MP Kanimozhi expressed her happiness over the announcement. “Recognition from the leader is a great reward. As a sister, I am happy for him,” she told The Hindu.
Broadening the import of his earlier remarks that Mr. Stalin would continue his work after him, Mr. Karunanidhi said: “If I get an opportunity — I reiterate it now — I will use it to propose only Mr Stalin’s name,” Mr Karunanidhi said.
He sought to clarify that his earlier remark that his younger son would carry forward his work pertained only to his party’s social programme, but later admitted that it held good too for the DMK’s political functions.
Talking to reporters after a meeting of DMK district secretaries, he said party general secretary K. Anbazhagan had already proposed Stalin’s name and he was just seconding his proposal.
Mr Anbazhagan, who was present in the media conference, said if he proposed Mr. Stalin’s name, others would also toe their line. “The party president cannot reject the proposal,” Mr Anbazhagan said.
Asked whether he would stay away from contesting in the forthcoming organisational polls, he said: “I don’t know whether I will be alive till then.”
The announcement gave much-needed clarity to the party cadre, amidst the impression of a succession war between Mr. Stalin and his elder sibling M.K. Alagiri, now a Union Minister.
http://www.thehindu.com/news/states/tamil-nadu/yes-stalin-is-clear-choice-for-dmk-chief/article4279654.ece?homepage=true
Karunanidhi seconds Stalin for DMK chief's post
SUNDAY, 06 JANUARY 2013 17:45 IANS | CHENNAI
DMK chief M. Karunanidhi Sunday made it clear that he would propose his son M.K. Stalin as his successor or for the post of general secretary to the party's general council.
"DMK is a democratic party. For anybody to contest for president or general secretary's post, his name has to be proposed at the party's general council by majority and others have to abide by it," Karunanidhi told reporters after a meeting with the party's district secretaries here.
He said: "If I get such a chance in my personal capacity, then I would propose Stalin's name, as his name was earlier proposed by the party's general secretary and it will be like I am seconding it."
DMK general secretary K. Anbazhagan also said that if he makes a proposal and other members second it, then even the president (Karunanidhi) cannot refute it.
On whether he would contest for the party chief's post, Karunanidhi said: "I don't know whether I will be around till such time."
Referring to the recent media reports that he supports Stalin as his successor in the party, he said: "Can you show me that (how) Stalin would succeed me in the DMK?"
At a party function Thursday, the DMK chief said that Stalin would be the party's torchbearer after him to fight for the upliftment of Dalits.
Reacting to the media reports, Karunanidhi's elder son and union minister M.K. Alagiri Friday said the party was not a Hindu hermitage to name a successor to his father.
He said the party's by-laws do not allow announcing Stalin as the next leader of the DMK and the laws have to be followed.
On Alagiri's aspiration for the party president's post, Karunanidhi said that it would be decided at the general council meeting.
"DMK is a democratic party and any member can stand against Stalin," Karunanidhi said when asked whether he would ask Alagiri not to prevent Stalin's accession to the posts.
Karunanidhi said the party's internal elections would be over before the 2014 general elections.
Although from the same family, Alagiri and Stalin do not see eye to eye on some major issues concerning the DMK.
Alagiri has in the past made it clear that he would not accept anyone apart from Karunanidhi as the DMK leader and that he was ready to contest if there was a battle for the party leadership.
Karunanidhi, who has led the DMK since 1969, is now 88 years old and in poor health. The issue of who will lead the party -- one of India's oldest -- after Karunanidhi has been raised repeatedly.
Stalin became the treasurer of the DMK in December 2008. He became deputy chief minister of Tamil Nadu six months later when the DMK ruled Tamil Nadu.
http://dailypioneer.com/home/online-channel/top-story/120467-karunanidhi-seconds-stalin-for-dmk-chiefs-post.html
MK Stalin to succeed Karuna as DMK chief
FRIDAY, 04 JANUARY 2013 00:44 PNS | CHENNAI
A day after he described himself as a ‘true Communist’, Muthuvel Karunanidhi, the DMK chief, declared on Thursday that MK Stalin, his younger son, would lead the party after him. “Till I am alive, I’ll be the party leader. After my death, Stalin would lead the party and you,” Karunanidhi (90) told a gathering of party leaders who had assembled at Anna Arivalayam, the DMK’s headquarters.
Though Karunanidhi had given enough indirect hints in the past about Stalin succeeding him, this is the first time he is making an official declaration. Stalin and leaders belonging to his faction in the party were present while Karunanidhi made the announcement. M K Alagiri, Karunanidhi’s elder son and Kanimozhi, daughter by the third wife, who too are in the running for the control of the party were absent
while Karunanidhi made known the succession plan of the party, which is dominated by family members.
Stalin (60), is currently the treasurer of the DMK and was the Deputy Chief Minister during Karunanidhi’s tenure as Chief Minister (2006 to 2011). He holds a bachelors degree and Anna Universily, Chennai had conferred him with an honorary PhD degree while he was the Deputy Chief Minster. Now all the party cadres address him as Dr Dalapathy (the Tamil for commander).
Though Alagiri was not available for comments, he has made it known that he would never recognise Stalin as his leader. “Stalin is yet another DMK man. I don’t have anything special to say about him; he is like everyone; he is like all members of the DMK,” Alagiri had said recently when asked about the possibilities of his brother leading the DMK.
N Murugan, former IAS officer and a close friend of the Karunanidhi clan, said he was surprised by the declaration made by the DMK chief. “It is a diplomatic style of handling party affairs. But this announcement will make life difficult for Stalin. Alagiri and Kanimozhi are also in the run for the control of the party. They will not sit idle,” Murugan told The Pioneer.
He said Karunanidhi should have made Stalin the general secretary of the party so that he would have got enough time to establish his control over the party apparatus. “Karunanidhi has done a major disservice to Stalin by hurting Alagiri,” he said.
Interestingly, on Wednesday Karunanidhi made fun of the AIADMK leader Jayalalithaa for her declaration that she would fight the Lok Sabha elections alone. When asked what would be his strategy for the 2014 Lok sabha election, he said, “I cannot announce anything unilaterally. The DMK has called a meeting of all district secretaries. We will also discuss with the general council and the executive committee and come out with an announcement,” he had told reporters. “It is rather strange that he did not consult any party bodies before declaring his successor,” said a party insider. He also said that Thursday being astrologically a good day would have prompted the ‘rationalist’ Karunanidhi to declare his successor.
Karunanidhi was under pressure from Stalin himself to declare him as the next party chief. “The fact that Stalin sat grim-faced throughout the meeting is ample proof that he was aware of what Karunanidhi was about to tell,” said the partyman.
http://dailypioneer.com/nation/119927-mk-stalin-to-succeed-karuna-as-dmk-chief-.html