The executive committee of the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) on Tuesday held its first meeting post Karunanidhi's death on August 7. DMK Working President MK Stalin chaired the party's Emergency Executive Meeting, which is currently underway in Chennai. The Executive Committee meeting, which was originally announced to pass a resolution paying tribute to late DMK supremo Karunanidhi, is likely to name the next chief of the DMK.
Addressing the DMK members during the executive committee meeting, Stalin said, "Party has lost our leader but I have lost the leader as well as my father".
"When Kalaignar was in his last stage I held CM's hands and pleaded to fulfil his (Karunanidhi) last wish to be buried in Marina Beach but the government didn't agree," Stalin said.
Talking about the controversial Marina Beach issue, the DMK leader said, "I give the entire credit of the victory to lawyers. If this wouldn't have happened then surely I would have been the person to be buried along with our leader".
The DMK Executive meeting came a day after MK Alagiri, Stalin's elder brother threw an open challenge to his brother’s leadership and stake a claim to Karunanidhi's political legacy.
“Stalin is not working,” was his cryptic remark to a question from a scribe on the elevation of Stalin as the president from the post of working president that he currently holds.
“It was seen in Chennai bye-election, how DMK lost its deposit in RK Nagar bye-election that TTV Dhinakaran won,” Alagiri told media persons in Chennai after paying homage to his father at his memorial at Marina Beach in Chennai.
"The true followers of Kalaignar are with me. They support me," the expelled DMK leader added.
Read | DMK Succession War: Alagiri mounts challenge against Stalin for Karunanidhi’s political legacy
Speaking to ANI about the ongoing political battle between Alagiri and Stalin, BJP MP Subramanian Swamy said, "It'is normal to have jealousy between brothers. If one is doing good, another feels jealous. Algiri is not a politician, he is the elder brother. Grabbing lands, threatening and attempting murders are his kind of works".
"However, Stalin is neither God nor a saint. But he has sacrificed all his life for the well-being of DMK. He used to organise all the crucial party meetings along with his father Karunanidhi. The party will always go with him," Swamy added.
Meanwhile, being unfazed by Azhagiri's statement, the DMK has invited party MLAs, MPs, district-level organizers and other office bearers for August 14 meeting, even though they are not part of its executive committee.
Read | Karunanidhi Funeral: An era ends as Kalaignar is laid to rest at Marina Beach in Chennai
It seems like both the brothers have engaged in the newly surged succession war within the DMK and are on a desperate attempt to showcase their strength.
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