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Karunanidhi, Stalin in spat over Alagiri, Kanimozhi

CHENNAI: With DMK family members divided in the aftermath of the 2G scam and the assembly poll drubbing, pressure is mounting on party chief M Karunanidhi to change the way DMK is controlled and run. Tensions erupted into a full-blown spat this weekend when the former chief minister left Chennai for a seaside resort following an argument with his younger son and potential successor M K Stalin. Karunanidhi, usually known to travel with a large entourage of advisors and associates, was only accompanied by his personal secretary K Shanmuganathan, when he left for Mahabalipuram, a resort 40km away. Sources said he packed his bags after a 30-minute altercation with Stalin apparently over the role of his elder son and Union minister MK Alagiri in party politics and daughter Kanimozhis involvement in the 2G scam. It ended with Stalin walking out of Anna Arivalayam, the DMK headquarters in the city, in a huff. The rift comes just ahead of a crucial two-day DMK general council meeting beginning July 23 in Coimbatore. The 87-year-old wheelchair-bound elder, however, returned to the city later in the evening. Karunanidhi had summoned Stalin to the party HQ to discuss a complaint by members of the DMK womens wing. Sources said Stalin had kept away from his father for the past week as he was unhappy with his refusal to restructure DMK and elevate him to the top post. On Thursday, some members of the partys womens wing complained to Karunanidhi about Stalin. On being summoned to explain, Stalin is said to have blamed those close to his stepsister, Kanimozhi, and older brother Alagiri for trying to create rift within the family, said a senior leader. With Karunanidhi defending his daughter and Stalin persisting in his stand, the two are said to have left the party headquarters in an angry mood, said the leader. Later, at his Gopalapuram residence, his older daughter Selvi, is also said to have accused Alagiri of trying to foment trouble within the family.

                                                                                                               
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