Chennai: Ex-DMK chief M Karunanidhi's statue to be erected at DMK headquarters

Chennai, Oct 15: Statue of former DMK chief and Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M Karunanidhi will be erected at DMK headquarters by next month, final date not yet confirmed.

Invitations have been sent to Sonia Gandhi and Congress President Rahul Gandhi.

MK Alagiri, the expelled DMK leader and brother of DMK chief MK Stalin, were planning to erect a bronze statue of later party founder M Karunanidhi in the Madurai city.

The move is seen as yet another attempt by Alagiri to stake claim to his late iconic father's political legacy. Though the national executive of the party had recently elected Alagiri's younger brother MK Stalin as the new party chief, the succession war in the southern party is far from over.

The Karunanidhi family projected a united picture when the DMK chief was fighting a battle for life in a Chennai hospital for 11 days before his death on August 7.

However, days after his death the bitter succession war erupted again with Alagiri claiming "all true and loyal supporters of Kalaignar" were with him.

Alagiri, who was leading a life of political exile in Madurai away from media glare, had even warned that the DMK will dig its own "grave" if it did not take him back.

However, Stalin's election as DMK president on August 28 apparently made Alagiri rethink his plans and end political grandstanding.