Daughter of DMK president and Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M. Karunanidhi, Kanimozhi may seem to have been thrust into politics rather abruptly, yet the transition couldn’t have been more natural. In the wake of Dayanidhi Maran’s sensational exit from the Union Ministry and the strange twist of political fortunes, Kanimozhi is being projected as the party’s new emissary in Delhi. With speculation rife that Karunanidhi’s favourite child could be nominated to the Rajya Sabha, elections for which are due in June-end, and even given a ministerial berth, Kanimozhi, till now a reluctant player in Dravidian politics, is DMK’s emerging star.

Self-effasive and soft-spoken, the daughter of Rajathi Ammal, Karunanidhi’s third wife, had shied away from limelight even as she was overawed by her father’s political stature. She admired his leadership qualities and acumen, and inherited his literary skills. So after completing her Masters in Economics from Ethiraj College for Women in Chennai, she spent time working for a newspaper, writing poetry—Karuvarai Vasanai (1995) and Akathinai (2003) are her collection of poems—translating into English the works of leading young Tamil poets, representing the country at prestigious poetry festivals abroad and launching a website with Karthi, son of Union Finance Minister P. Chidambaram.

So far, Karunanidhi too had been content with his daughter’s creative pursuits, reserving his political ambitions for son M.K. Stalin, who he hopes will take over the party reins some day. Among his six children, the DMK patriarch doted on Kanimozhi, always finding time for her and recognising her as his literary heir. He even acknowledged it at a recent folk art function, Chennai Sangamam, which was organised by Kanimozhi, saying she had his poetic ability, literary craving and love for Tamil language. But there was no hint of any political aspiration, even though the function was seen as her first attempt to test political waters: it drew adverse publicity after Karunanidhi was accused of issuing a Government Order giving financial support for the initiative.

Even if her views on taking the political plunge had changed over the years, Kanimozhi preferred to fall in line with her father’s wishes. Till Maran’s ouster, that is. While Karunanidhi has chosen to remain silent on her possible political role, the media has gone to town speculating about the portfolios she could get. Kanimozhi, of course, has demurred in her characteristic soft manner: “It is too early to say anything.”

Earlier, when relations between the Marans (Kalanidhi and Dayanidhi) and MK brothers (Stalin and Azhagiri) had begun to sour, Kanimozhi was seen as a replacement for Maran. But it had seemed unlikely that Dayanidhi would fall out of favour with his granduncle. Now, when Kanimozhi seems set to take the political plunge, Karunanidhi fears she will receive adverse publicity if she is propelled into the Union cabinet, what with the media seeing her as the possible “reason” for Maran’s exit. But with her brothers giving the green signal, Kanimozhi’s political anointing is only a matter of time.