Karuna will be CM candidate for 2016 election, says Stalin

CHENNAI: A few days after he clarified that he never hankered after the party’s top post, DMK treasurer MK Stalin on Monday told party cadres that his father and party chief M Karunanidhi will be the chief ministerial candidate for the 2016 assembly polls.
While addressing DMK’s ‘Mupperum Vizha’ – annual celebrations of the birth anniversaries of the Dravidian movement founder late E V R Periyar and C N Annadurai and the launch of the party – Stalin said, “Kalaignar (Karunanidhi) is our party leader forever.We will come to power in 2016, headed by Kalaignar”.
Stalin’s statement is an effort to put an end to speculation over a perceived rift with his father and his ambition to head the party after his followers mounted a campaign to demand his elevation as the DMK chief, party seniors reckon. ‘Stalin for 2016’ campaign on social media, suspended leader PV Kalyanasundaram’s open letter promoting Stalin and a few other issues had upset Karunanidhi.
The leaders who spoke at Monday’s meeting hailed Karunanidhi’s leadership. Stalin said Karunanidhi has been successfully running the party even after leaders like EVK Sampath, MG Ramachandran and Vaiko quit. DMK general secretary K Anbazhagan said there is no leader more efficient than Karunanidhi.

DMK chief M Karunanidhi. (TOI photo)
Stalin also urged his party cadres not to believe media reports that he has differences with Karunanidhi. “A section of media has been attacking our party and tried to create a rift between the leaders even though we are not in power. They never criticize the ruling AIADMK,” Stalin said. He said the reports about the rift between him and his father are still continuing even after he clarified last week.