Chennai: Dismissing as ‘malicious’ reports that he had offered to quit as party treasurer, DMK leader M K Stalin on Sunday affirmed that he was seeking re-election as party treasurer.
Media reports on Sunday claimed that Stalin had offered to quit as he was “not allowed” by Karunanidhi to contest for the post of general secretary, a post being held by veteran leader and former Finance Minister K Anbazhagan.
Stalin dismissed such reports as malicious rumours. “I condemn this strongly and deny such reports completely. Somebody has spread such rumours with malicious intent,” he told reporters.
“I would like to state categorically that this has been done deliberately to create confusion among party ranks,” he added.
He also clarified that party district secretaries, including J Anbazhagan had called on him to take his signature for filing papers to the post of treasurer. The visits of party functionaries with Stalin were “used to fuel speculation” by vested interests, a DMK senior leader who declined to be named said.
On the demand for a larger role for Stalin by his supporters, he said it was true that they would like to see him go to the top of the party’s organisational pyramid. “The post, however, does not mattter. For all practical purposes, he is steering the party and is it not perceptible?” he asked.
Though active, Karunanidhi is 91 years old and his peer Anbazhagan is older than him and Stalin was giving DMK the much needed “tactical political direction,” he added.
“Be it the process of finalising candidates for the Lok Sabha elections, deciding the party’s electoral strategy or the present organisational polls, you can see his mark everywhere,” the DMK leader said. He pointed out that a sizable chunk of party workers, including district Secretaries like J Anbazhagan and P K Sekar Babu who have been elected in the ongoing 14th party organisational polls are loyalists of Stalin.
On the drubbing in the last year Lok Sabha polls the campaign for which was strategised by Stalin, the leader said such electoral losses “cannot diminish his leadership value and skills.” “Victories and defeats are common in any democracy. You need to see his performance holistically,” he said.
Meanwhile, expelled DMK leader and elder son of Karunanidhi, M K Alagiri told reporters at the airport here on Sunday that he would join the party “if it reformed itself.”
Asked to be explicit, he used a Tamil saying which meant that “certain things cannot be ended unless the one who commits it reforms himself and decides to not do it.” He reiterated his charge that there was “no democracy” in the DMK.
Top leaders Karunanidhi, Anbazhagan and Stalin are all set to be re-elected as president, General Secretary and treasurer at the party’s general council meet here on January 9. Elections to the top posts will mark the end of the organisational polls in the DMK.
After meeting reporters at his residence, Stalin called on his father and party chief Karunanidhi along with party functionaries, including J Anbazhagan. He was closetted for about an hour with the DMK patriarch.However, what transpired was not known immediately.
Stalin declined to comment when asked about Alagiri’s remarks on the DMK. “I don’t want to discuss anything with you about those who were expelled from the party,” he said.
Stalin’s supporters who had gathered in large numbers after hearing rumours dispersed after their leader’s denial.
Meanwhile, party sources indicated that the birthday celebrations of DMK Rajya Sabha MP and Karunanidhi’s daughter Kanimozhi, who will turn 47 on Monday, was likely to be a “low key” affair.
The chief of party’s literary and art wing, Kanimozhi’s supporters expect the party high command to consider giving her a new role to strengthen DMK. (PTI)