M K Stalin’s control over party secretary leaves Alagiri stranded
Chennai: Whether the organisational polls being conducted after doubling the party districts to 65 benefited the DMK or not, it has exacerbated the position of suspended DMK south zone organizing secretary and Stalin’s elder brother M.K.Alagiri, thereby further diminishing the prospects of a possible patch up between the two warring brothers.
In the same breath, it had certainly strengthened party treasurer M.K. Stalin never like before. If the list of newly elected district functionaries published today’s Murasoli were something to go by, the prince in waiting has wrested absolute control of the party by getting his “yes men” elected district secretaries in most of the 55 of the total 65 districts for which elections have gotten over.
It will be no different in Chennai, Erode and Salem either, not just because they are Stalin’s strongholds but considering that most of the posts that decide the district secretaries have been bagged by his loyalists. It is these district secretaries who will have a say in the state office bearers appointment, which will happen before the general council meets tentatively on December 9.
“Annan’s (as Alagiri is fondly addressed by his supporters) biggest grouse was Stalin’s writ running large in the party. He picked holes, particularly in appointment/nomination of office bearers. His ties with Kalaignar soured only after he criticized inner-party affairs, especially appointment of officebearers,” a long-time Alagiri loyalist said, wondering, “Now that Stalin has got his men appointed everywhere, what good does it do to him if he rejoins the party, which will not happen easily, now?
“Stalin has tamed a heavyweight like Duraimurugan. Even though they are his ‘yes’ men, he did not oblige the requests of Pongalur Palanisamy and Karuppasamy Pandian. He has meticulously fixed his men everywhere. Even Kalaignar could not stop it,” said a senior district secretary requesting anonymity.
That said, a further elevation to Stalin, possibly executive president or vice president, as did they by making him deputy CM in 2006-11 DMK regime, is not ruled out by the udanpirapus.
Another party senior said that though Karunanidhi was not averse to admitting his intemperate son, Stalin was determined not to allow his reentry into the party.
“At best, Alagiri will get his old post or something equivalent to that with a different name, which does not good to him. Whereas, Stalin will be the de-facto president will stronger post even by name and with powers greater than what he enjoys now. Kalaignar will continue to be a figurehead,” the party senior close to Gopalapuram and Cenotaph Road added.
