1 poll, 2 sons, 3 murders in fierce DMK family feud

The supporters, who hurled petrol bombs and stones at the building, were protesting a survey published by the Maran family-owned newspaper on who could be Karunanidhi’s ‘possible political heir’.

The survey “Makkal Manasu” (What people think) conducted by the daily in association with A C Nielsen, gave 70 per cent chances to M K Stalin, the second son of Karunanidhi and just two per cent to Azhagiri, who controls party cadres in the southern districts, and Kanimozhi, the CM’s daughter. The daily is owned by Karunanidhi’s grand nephew Kalanidhi Maran, brother of Union Minister Dayanidhi Maran.

The survey also gave 20 per cent chance to the category ‘Others’ (31 per cent in Chennai). This made Azhagiri supporters believe that Dayanidhi Maran was being projected as the second choice after Stalin.

Elsewhere in Madurai and surrounding districts, Azhagiri supporters continued to set fire to copies of Dinakaran, also blocking traffic at several places. They stoned public transport buses, damaged several vehicles and disrupted normal life.

The violence comes just two days before celebrations being organized to mark 50 years of Karunanidhi in the state Assembly, with an array of leaders, including Congress president Sonia Gandhi, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and Lok Sabha Speaker Somnath Chatterjee, expected to participate.

Karunanidhi was said to have been so disturbed by the violence that he wanted to call off the function. But his allies insisted that the celebrations should take place as scheduled.

Condemning the violence and announcing relief of Rs 2 lakh each for the families of the three men killed in the attack, Karunanidhi said: “I also promise appropriate legal action against those involved, whoever they be. I join my friends from the media in condemning this attack.”

Pointing out that he had expressed disapproval of an opinion poll in Dinakaran which rated Dayanidhi Maran as the ‘best’ Union Minister from Tamil Nadu, Karunanidhi regretted that another survey by the newspaper on his possible successor had led to the loss of three lives. The DMK, he said, was a democratic party and did not elect its leaders based on heredity.

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