Stalin conspicuously absent at DMK Women's Meet

Cuddalore, Tamil Nadu, Jun 15 (UNI) Tamil Nadu Local Administration Minister M K Stalin, touted to be the ''political heir apparent'' to Chief Minister M Karunanidhi was conspicuous by his absence at the two-day maiden DMK's Women's Wing Conference which would conclude tonight.

Mr Stalin, son of Mr Karunanidhi and also the Deputy General Secretary of the Party, was away in London for the treatment of his aching back.

He was initially scheduled to arrive on June 13, in time for the conference. However, he was not present when the meet opened yesterday.

There was high expectation that he would at least make it today.

But the hopes of thousands of party cadres to meet their ''Thalapathy,'' as he was affectionately called, were belied.

Fresh from his stupendous success over the conduct of the party's youth wing conference at Tirunelveli a few months back, the presence of Mr Stalin, no doubt, would have definitely added more pep to the first-ever all-women's meet organised by the DMK.

Incidentally, Mr Stalin's sister and Poet Kanimozhi, was the brain behind the conference which provided a chance for her to showcase her organisational skills and woo the womenfolk.

Though Ms Kanimozhi was instrumental in successfully organising 'Chennai Sangamam,' a forum for Tamil folk arts, the women's meet was the first opportunity for her to show her political skills after she took the plunge into politics with a nomination to the Upper House of Parliament.

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