I will endorse Stalin as next DMK chief but party's decision is ultimate: Karunanidhi

Chennai: Two days after Dravida Munnetra Kazagham chief M Karunanidhi's elder son and Union Minister MK Alagiri publicly objected to his father's statement where he named his younger son MK Stalin as the next chief of the DMK, the party chief made a clarification on Sunday. Karunanidhi said that while in his personal capacity he would endorse Stalin as the next party president, it was the party which will take the last decision.

The DMK chief explained that when he named Stalin as his successor, he meant that all the social work he had been doing over the years would be taken over by him in the event of his demise.

Objecting to Karunanidhi's naming Stalin as the next DMK president, Alagiri on Friday said the DMK was not a religious mutt, meaning that it's not up to the chief to name a successor. He was reacting to the DMK chief's statement where he hinted that his younger son MK Stalin will be his heir, laying to rest speculation on who will win the battle between the two brothers to lead the party after him.

Karunanidhi\'s elder son had objected when he hinted that Stalin would take over as the DMK chief after him.

Speaking at a public function in Chennai, the 88-year-old Karunanidhi said: "Till my last breath I will take care of the party work. For the question of who after me, Stalin is sitting here as an answer."

Alagiri and Stalin have been engaged in a battle over succession for some time now. Stalin has been looking at the party's affairs in Tamil Nadu while older brother Alagiri has been a central minister and came into politics much later than Stalin.

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