MK Stalin was unanimously elected the DMK’s Working President on Wednesday, sparking cheer among party supporters across Tamil Nadu.

Addressing the General Council at the DMK party headquarters, Stalin said he accepted the responsibility with a ‘heavy heart’ as his elevation was necessitated due to ill health of party President M Karunanidhi.

He assured the party General Council, Stalin said he would work under the guidance of Karunanidhi, General Secretary K Anbazhagan, DMK Principal Secretary Durai Murugan and other senior leaders. As Working President, his role would be to support the senior leaders, he said.

Stalin then left for the Gopalapuram residence of the 93-year-old DMK patriarch to seek his blessings.

A dash of ‘youth’ The elation within the DMK ranks is not without reason. Stalin may be the son of the party President, but even his worst detractors cannot deny that the ‘Thalapathy’ (general), had made it up the echelons by dint of sustained, hard work over five decades in politics.

More importantly, the DMK is desperate for a young leadership: at 63, Stalin definitely brings more ‘youth’ to the job than the nonagenarian Karunanidhi.

Rebuilding the party With several of its party leaders facing charges in the 2G spectrum scam, the DMK lost power in the 2011 Assembly elections. The party leaders faced widespread dissatisfaction from among the cadres, and the tussle for power within the DMK’s first family raged.

Ahead of the 2016 Assembly elections, age was showing on Karunanidhi. Even his most ardent of followers would have noted the signs of debilitation during the leader’s election campaign. And although loyal cadres elected him to the Assembly for a record 13th time, maintaining his undefeated electoral streak, they could see change in the offing.

Both in the 2014 Parliamentary elections and the 2016 Assembly elections, Stalin led from the front, consolidating his position in the party.

While the DMK was routed in the Parliamentary elections, it regained lost ground in the Assembly polls. Not projecting a strong chief ministerial candidate was itself considered a handicap.

Reaching out During the campaign, Stalin also went the extra mile to bond with the grassroots level worker. His State-wide, ‘Namakku Namae’ campaign saw him interact closely with cadres in every district. He even underwent a makeover to appeal to the young voter, dressing up in colourful shirts and trousers, discarding, albeit temporarily, his customary white shirt and dhoti.

Bumps along the way His progress has not been without heartburn within the party: his rivalry with his brother MK Alagiri, a DMK discard who is considered a power centre in the southern districts, is political folklore. But Stalin’s hold over the party and the ground-level support he enjoys has seen him through.

On Wednesday, when DMK General Secretary K Anbazhagan proposed Stalin’s name for the top post, it was a significant milestone not just for the new leader, but also for the party. From being a teenage campaigner, to a primary member to Youth Wing leader, MLA, Mayor of Chennai, Cabinet Minister and Leader of Opposition, it has been a long five decades for Stalin.

In his new role, Stalin has his work cut out for him: taking on arch-rival, the ruling AIADMK, sorting out the power struggle within the family, and arresting the slide following the 2006-2011 phase in power.

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