DMK chief Karunanidhi misses first party meeting in 48 years
DMK chief M Karunanidhi on Wednesday missed the first party general body meeting in 48 years. The 93-year-old has recently been hospitalised twice after complaining of difficulty in breathing due to throat and lung infection. Karunanidhi's son MK Stalin was elected as the party's working President in the general body meeting. However, Karunanidhi will remain the DMK party's President. 
In a general body meeting of DMK in which M Karunanidhi didn't participate, for the first time in 48 years, MK Stalin was today elevated as 'working president' of DMK at its general body meeting in which party partriach M Karunanidhi didn't participate for the first time in 48 years.Stalin the second son of Dayalu Ammal and Karunanidhi had won over the internal battles within the party to become the 'working president'. His main hurdle was his elder brother MK Alagiri, who controlled the southern helm of Tamil Nadu until the period he was evicted from the party. WILL DO WHAT KARUNA SAYS: STALIN"Our leader is someone who gives rest to retirement but unfortunately he needs rest now and as a working president I shall stand by his views and do what he says," Stalin said after taking charge.Stalin clarified that his post as a working president is not a post but a responsibility.As the meet got over, Stalin left for Gopalapuram to meet his father and DMK chief Karunanidhi to seek his blessings. THE STALIN-ALAGIRI WARBy 2012-13, Stalin began a passive cleansing process within the party where his confidantes replaced those who were loyal to Alagiri. This angered Alagiri who openly spoke against Stalin and the party making his father furious. The already suspended South Zone Organisational Secretary was expelled on March, 2014.Alagiri complained that his father was acting partial towards him favouring Stalin. "DMK needs to get rid of thieves," Alagiri once said. Even after the drama that ensued, Alagiri tried to meet his father on many occasions but failed until recently when Karunanidhi was hospitalised The rivalry between the two brothers didn't end.The expulsion of Alagiri also brought Karunanidhi's daughter Kanimozi's position within the party under question as she was much closer to Alagiri. It was believed that anytime a question on handing over authority to a successor was put forward to Karunanidhi, the Dravidian stalwart would only give an indirect reply keeping the leadership in uncertainty as he knew that it was the only thing that kept his family together at peace.But as his health deteriorated recently and with the death of former CM and AIADMK chief Jayalalithaa, Stalin's supporters raised flags within the party to make him the next leader.Party insiders were a bit appalled to know that the Stalin camp, demanded absolute power before becoming a working president. INSIDE DMK'S GENERAL BODY MEETINGThe DMK must be applauded for its act of passing a resolution, a homage message to the late Chief Minister Jayalalithaa.Then, as party's deputy legislative Assembly leader Thuraimurugan brought forth MK Stalin's name for the post, party general secretary, Anbazagan concurred it.Speaking during the meet, Thuraimurugan broke down to see that his leader is unable to participate but for the betterment of the party agreed to the fact that the party needed a 'working president'. Even then, taking a dig at the recently conducted AIADMK general body meeting, Thuraimurgan said that DMK is a party that gives importance to 'self-respect' more than anything.'A DELAYED DECISION'Senior journalist Gnanisankaran called Stalin's elevation as a delayed decision. "Stalin has been a working president since last two years but they wanted to keep Karunanidhi as the President as he still carries a lot of respect among the cadres," he said.WATCH THE VIDEOALSO READ: