Marans' biz success made Karuna's sons jealous

CHENNAI: Stripping communications and IT minister Dayanidhi Maran off his Cabinet post and membership of DMK party, the high-level administrative committee of the party passed a separate resolution stating, "The party has decided to initiate disciplinary action against Dayanidhi Maran in view of his recent approach and activities that are tantamount to violating party disciple. Further action on his continuation as a party member and other party responsibilities should be initiated after seeking his explanation."

Maran, who was on a holiday with his family in Ooty, could not be immediately contacted for comment. The future of the party has once again lost precedence to personal ego clashes and fratricidal feuds. The Marans had never claimed succession to the DMK throne, but their success in business and their popularity among the Central leadership had made Stalin, Azhagiri and other aspiring siblings insecure. To boot, the two brothers and Karunanidhi himself saw the opinion poll and other campaigns in Dinakaran as an attempt to run down one side of the family.

Kalanidhi and Dayanidhi are the sons of Murasoli Maran, who was Karunanidhi's nephew. Earlier, Vaiko, once Karunanidhi's right-hand man, was removed because he was seen as overshadowing Stalin, the main claimant to Karunanidhi’s mantle.

Ironically, while Maran was singled out for condemnation, none of the five resolutions adopted on Sunday night mentioned Azhagiri for instigating the violence that precipitated the crisis in the party. The blame was squarely put on the Maran brothers for running a ‘campaign’ against Karunanidhi’s children.