Opinion | With Karunanidhi gone, it's a tough road ahead for Stalin

Supporters hold up cut-outs of the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) party symbol with images of M.K. Stalin, son and heir-apparent of M. Karunanidhi, chief of DMK during a rally ahead of a general election in the southern Indian city of Chennai April 6, 2014. India, the world's largest democracy, will hold its general election in nine stages staggered between April 7 and May 12. REUTERS/Babu (INDIA - Tags: POLITICS ELECTIONS) - RTR3K57Q

Viju Cherian

Kalaignar, as Karunanidhi was affectionately called by his supporters, died on Tuesday, August 7, and it was an eventful 24 hours from then till he was laid to rest next to his mentor CN Annadurai at Marina Beach on Wednesday. With angry mobs, wailing crowds and political tension that involved the judiciary, emotions were running high in the southern state. But that’s how politics in Tamil Nadu is — and in the coming days, weeks and months, it is in this political theatre that MK Stalin will have to prove that he is the rightful heir to Karunanidhi’s political legacy.

To be the undisputed leader of the DMK, MK Stalin will have to overcome many hurdles — first within his family and the party, and then at the state and national level. Even if he were to overcome these, he will have to etch a place for himself in the state and, if he chooses, in the crammed coalition bandwagon where regional parties are aplenty.

With the father gone, there could be a chance for the feud between the brothers, Stalin and MK Alagiri, resurfacing. Though Alagiri has been expelled from the DMK, he can rock the boat for Stalin. Alagiri used to be the party’s face in Madurai for many years and has the capability of spoiling DMK’s party in that region of the state. Alagiri’s sharp criticism after the party lost the RK Nagar bypolls in December, gives a peek into what’s in store. It is also not clear if Kanimozhi has reconciled to the fact that Stalin will be DMK’s leader. It is to be seen how Alagiri reacts to Stalin as boss and whether Kanimozhi would remain a step behind her half-brother.

As 65-year-old Stalin takes charge of the DMK, there isn’t a clear second-rung leadership, or emerging set of leaders in the party. If Stalin were to turn to his son or someone from within the extended family and project him or her as the next party leader, it is unlikely to go down well with the cadre.

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The DMK cadre which related to the warmth and erudition of Kaliagnar, need not gravitate towards Stalin. His name does not resonate with Tamil identity politics as much as his father’s did. In that sense, Stalin is as much a leader of the Tamils and the Tamil cause as is MDMK leader Vaiko or VCK leader Thol Thirumavalavan.

If Karunanidhi had the image of a benevolent father, Stalin’s is that of a hot-headed son. On more than one occasion Stalin has been in the news for slapping people during public events.

With the demise of J Jayalalithaa, the AIADMK might be a pale shadow of what it was two years ago. Under normal circumstances, this would have benefitted the AIADMK’s rival, the DMK. But the weakening of the AIADMK has broken the bipolar nature of Tamil politics and created a vacuum that has, for now, been occupied by many parties. The RK Nagar polls showed that the DMK has failed to capitalise Jaya’s absence. Karunanidhi’s departure, in many ways, accentuates this trend — because, in a sense, Stalin is on the same plane as many other regional leaders in the state.

Beyond the state, at the national level, the political test for Stalin will soon come when he will have to decide on how to fight the 2019 general elections.

Will he fight it alone and keep the door open for a post-poll alliance with either the NDA or UPA? In the 2014 Lok Sabha polls this strategy backfired where the party drew a blank. Will he join hands with the UPA despite the fact that the Congress’ performance in the state has been dismal over the years? Or will he join the NDA or extend outside support to it due to political compulsions? It is eight years since the DMK was in power at the state and six years since at the Centre. This is a long time for a regional party to maintain the morale of its cadre. Moreover, being in power will be necessary for Stalin to consolidate his position as party leader. The last time the DMK was in political wilderness, it had Karunanidhi to hold the flock together.

What lies ahead for Stalin is a series of tests — if he manages to overcome each hurdle along the way, it will make him a strong leader and the DMK stronger. It will also bring him a notch closer to rightfully claim the political legacy of Karunanidhi.