With speculation rife that Ms Kanimozhi, Rajya Sabha MP and daughter of DMK supremo Mr Karunanidhi, is all set to be a given a key position in the party hierarchy during the general council meet of the party on February 3, DMK’s heir apparent and former deputy chief minister M.K. Stalin and his brother M.K. Alagiri have geared up to ensure that she is not allowed to play a larger role in the party.
According to sources in the DMK, apprehending her elevation, Mr Stalin recently made an announcement that office bearers of the party’s youth wing should not be older than 40 years.
He also stated that the same rule would be extended to cover other arms within the party like, women’s wing and students’ wing. Ms Kanimozhi is 44 years old.
This sources said was to ensure that she did not inherit his mantle of leading the younger generation of the party.
As part of his efforts to take control of the party as also Kalaignar TV in which Ms Kanimozhi, Ms Dayalu Ammal and Mr Sharad Kumar have stakes, Mr Stalin quietly ensured the induction of his loyalist and organising secretary P.V. Kalyana Sundaram in the board of directors, some time back, sources added. Mr Kalaignar TV is functioning as the official organ of the DMK and control of it is crucial to the party leadership.
Union chemicals and fertiliser minister M.K. Alagiri too, according to sources, has expressed his displeasure to his father over the move to assign a prominent position within the party to Ms Kanimozhi.