Chennai: Friday’s DMK general council meet will most likely be a ritual. The much-anticipated elevation will elude Stalin and his loyalists who are anticipating an amendment to the party by-law for a surprise elevation of their thalapathi on Friday, two days after he had filed nomination for re-election to treasurer’s office. Sources privy to the developments in Gopalapuram had only DMK president M. Karunanidhi and general secretary K. Anbazhagan to blame for the exercise turning futile even before it began.

The two “senior citizens” of the DMK are understood have jointly blocked the elevation of Stalin who had done something they could not do in a few decades, clipping the wings of regional satraps by narrowing their boundaries and inducting new functionaries statewide. The biggest surprise for Stalin in the 14th general council was Perasiriyar (as Anbazhagan is fondly called) who had objected to Stalin stepping in his shoes. “It was the same Anbazhagan who had proposed Stalin’s name for president post a few years back.

He has not retracted that statement in public, but a perceptible change was seen in his stand by a many during private interactions,” a party senior requesting anonymity said, attributing Anbazhagan’s attitudinal change to pressure from his family besides the influence of Karunanidhi, who is more concerned about pampering his own ego and safeguarding his Rajya Sabha daughter Kanimozhi than rejuvenating the party that is at its lowest ebb.

“When thalaivar was shown the nomination paper of Stalin (for treasurer post), he sarcastically wondered if he is not running for general secretary’s office,” an highly placed DMK leader revealed, adding that Karunanidhi was well aware that Anbazhagan was not for making way for Stalin and the two ‘oldies’ have jointly conspired this time. Thursday’s edition of ‘Murasoli’ was a pointer to Karunanidhi’s designs. More than celebrating Karunanidhi’s reelection as the party chief for the 11thtime, the page one of the party organ did nothing but inform cadres of subtle rejection of Stalin’s plan.

“None other than Kalaignar for party chief’s post?” was the message the whole page article tangibly conveyed. Ironically, what the two golden jubilee politicians did not realize was that most of the party rank and file, which Stalin has meticulously taken control of, wanted him anointed. A state functionary who did not wish to be named said, “Unless Stalin is declared party CM candidate or given at least a token elevation on the lines of executive president tomorrow, all the momentum created by doubling the party districts to 65 and induction of new office-bearers will fizzle out. Kalaignar and Perasiriyar should abstain from future polls and support Stalin from behind.”