'Lead us as party President', DMK party meet pledges support to Stalin

The urgent meeting was held to pass a resolution condoling the death of party President and former Chief Minister M Karunanidi

Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam's (DMK) first executive committee meeting after the demise of its long-term president M Karunanidhi took place at the party headquarters in Chennai on Tuesday.

The urgent meeting of the Executive Committee was called to pass a resolution condoling the death of party President and former Chief Minister M Karunanidi.

The DMK's Executive Committee also made it clear that the party was solidly behind its Working President M K Stalin

The meeting was chaired by party's working president Stalin who is also the Leader of the Oppositon in the Tamil Nadu Assembly.

After the passage of the condolence resolution, speaker after speaker including leaders like Duraimurugan, T R Baalu and others expressed their support to Stalin and urged him to take over the party's mantle.

"Working President, lead us as the party President," Duraimurugan said to cheers.

Addressing the gathering, former Union Minister Baalu said: "The commander of the army is no more. Nobody has to tell who will be the next commander. Stalin has all the qualities to lead."

The meeting was also expected to fix date for the general council meet to elect M K Stalin as party president and urging Centre to give Bharat Ratna to Karunanidhi says party sources.

Karunanidhi's daughter Kanimozhi was also present in the meeting.

A day ahead of a the meeting, the standoff between brothers M K Alagiri and M K Stalin once again came out in the public. The 67-year old Alagiri, eldest son of late M Karunanidhi, alleged that his brother Stalin does not want him in the party and claimed that he had the support of his father's loyalists.

After paying homage to his father in Chennai on Monday, former Union Minister Alagiri, who was expelled by his father in 2014 for a continued slanderous attack on party leaders, said "I came to my father's grave to express my feelings & sentiments. You will come to know about it (his political stand) later".

"I do not know about tomorrow's emergency executive meeting because I am not in the DMK, but I know my father's supporters are with me," he told reporters.

He alleged that several DMK leaders are in touch with Rajinikanth and party posts are being sold.

"The present leaders will destroy the party and Karunanidhi's soul will punish them," Alagiri had said.