Moopanar issue exposes Karunandhi gameplan

N Sathiya Moorthy in Madras

The confusion over the choice of a prime minister to replace Deve Gowda exposed the problems between the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam and the Tamil Maanila Congress. It also showed that the DMK has demarcated the roles for the two possible successors of DMK chief Muthuvel Karunanidhi: son M K Stalin will handle organisational affairs, nephew Murasoli Maran will be the party strategist in New Delhi.

Murasoli Maran proved his worth when he insured TMC leader Moopanar did not become prime minister, says a DMK leader. He also reportedly pushed Karunanidhi into taking a subtle anti-Moopanar line.

"Friends may blame him for being anti-Tamil... but he put the long-term interests of the party above all, and has come out successful," the leader said, adding that the party could not afford to have Moopanar as prime minister, given his Congress past and his declared goal of restoring 'Kamraj rule' in the state.

It was to Maran's credit that most of the blame for the rejection of Moopanar went to the Left parties, not the DMK, he said.

Other party sources confirm Stalin did not get involved in the matter, leaving it to the 'two family elders'. Privately, he thinks Moopanar's selection wouldn't have mattered to the DMK. But while he thought that, he wisely kept his thoughts to himself most of the time.

"That way," points out the source, even the TMC cadres were only angry with Murasoli Maran and Karunanidhi when Moopanar did not become prime minister. When the TMC was deliberating whether to rejoin the government, cadres outside the building shouted slogans against the two DMK leaders, even burning an effigy of Murasoli Maran.

The fact that Stalin was in favour of Moopanar becoming prime minister made TMC cadres feel more kindly towards him. Stalin was also the only DMK leader, other than Karunanidhi, to comment publicly on the issue when it was the issue at its height, and his underlying Tamil bias has not gone unnoticed by the public either.

Stalin is the public face of the party but Murasoli Maran continues to aid and advise Karunanidhi, the source said.