Tamil Nadu polls: At 92 years, DMK's Karunanidhi is the oldest CM face ever

CHENNAI: In April 2009, when a frail-looking Muthuvel Karunanidhi was pushed up a red carpeted ramp to address a public meet in north Chennai ahead of the Lok Sabha poll, few were in doubt about the resilience of the DMK chief. It was his first campaign programme in that election, just two months after a spine surger .

Crowds had gathered, waiting for hours, to see the DMK supremo in a wheel-chair fo the first time, campaigning for his grandnephew Dayanidhi Maran. Karunanidhi who was the CM then, spoke for 15 minutes. The DMK Congress alliance won 27 of the 39 seats in Tamil Nadu.

Eight years later, he may have handed over to his young er son and successor M K Sta lin the chunk of responsibility of steering the party's campa ign for the forthcoming state poll, but the DMK's aging vete ran has not called it a day yet.

The 92-year-old, who i wheelchair-bound, is making yet another bid for chief mini stership. A brand new campaign vehicle is being readied for him for another haul.

The new tempo traveller purchased by DMK has been handed over to Koyas, an auto mobile remodelling company in Coimbatore. "The unique feature is Karunanidhi's wheel chair," said P V Riaz, Koyas MD. It can fit into the vehicle for him to sit comfortably while campaigning. Wi-Fi, home the atre, spotlights, speakers, mi crophone and amplifiers wil be fitted in. "He can also watch TV on the move," Riaz said.




Karunanidhi is expected to take to social media in a big way and step back from the electoral spotlight to allow his son more prominence during this transitional phase for DMK. But, it should be noted that during the 2011 state poll Karunanidhi, after addressing public meets in all key towns, drew up an exhaustive schedule for similar events in at least 60 more spots.

His trusted lieutenant and senior DMK member S Duraimurugan said Karunanidhi was likely to tour towns like Trichy , Thanjavur, Madurai and Coimbatore. "Our thalai var (leader) cannot stay indoors," he said, adding how Karunanidhi sits for more than nine hours at the party headquarters every day , interviewing prospective poll candidates and picking out possible winners. He wakes up at 4 am to scan newspapers and is up until late discussing strategy with senior members.

(With inputs from Julie Mariappan and Adarsh Jain)