M K Azhagiri, the second son of DMK patriarch Karunanidhi is known by his sobriquet ?Anja Nenjan? (The fearless one) in party circles. Till a few years ago Azhagiri had a comparatively low profile in Tamil Nadu politics. In 1984 Azhagiri was sent to Madurai to manage the specially launched Madurai edition of ?Murasoli?, the party?s official organ. The edition closed down in a couple of years but Azhagiri chose to remain in the city famous for its breathtaking Meenakshi Temple. He has said in several interviews that he prefers Madurai to Chennai.
That arrangement suited Karunanidhi since he had decided that the more sober Stalin, the party?s youth wing leader (which he continues to be even after becoming a grandfather), was a better choice to succeed him and it was safe to keep the more brash and loud Azhagiri away. Stalin became an MLA in 1989, Chennai Mayor in 1996, deputy general secretary in the party subsequently and the local administration minister in this government, fourth in the protocol.
Azhagiri, it is said, was quite miffed at his brother?s growth. However, he used this period to carve out his own fiefdom in Madurai and the surrounding districts, challenging even well-entrenched seniors. Soon very little could move in the party without his word and he would extract his pound of flesh during every election, getting tickets for a handful of his loyalists. When the party spurned him, he fielded rebel candidates in 2001 and defeated six of the party?s official nominees.
Even though he was not implicated in any criminal case, barring the murder of a senior former minister T Kiruttinan, Azhagiri gained the reputation of having a hand behind all kinds of violent happenings in Madurai?from the killing of a CPM woman council to the forced closure of a popular idli restaurant. He was acquitted in the murder case last year.
?All these were rumours floated by his political rivals just to discredit him and bring down his popularity. Though he had no political ambitions, he was keen on doing something for party cadres and the public,? argued Azhagiri?s lawyer K Muthuramalingam. But it is an unwritten rule that no official?be it the district collector or the police commissioner?could continue in Madurai after antagonising the big brother.
The two brothers apparently came together after Azhagiri?s arrest for Kiruttinan?s murder during the last Jayalalithaa regime, but people in the know say that they have never shared a warm relationship.
Azhagiri?s simmering resentment turned into anger when Karunanidhi promoted a political fledgling like Dayanidhi Maran, his grand nephew, as union cabinet minister. Azhagiri was already cut up with the Maran family after their cable company, SCV, cold-shouldered his requests on behalf of his favourite cable operators. When Kalanithi Maran purchased the Tamil daily ?Dinkaran?, all news about Azhagiri was blacked out, further widening the rift. So when ?Dinakaran? published an opinion poll that showed Azhagiri?s popularity as very low, he launched a counter attack whose ferocity stunned even those sympathetic towards him.
Although he is feared, he has a legion of admirers in Madurai. He is supposed to be a helpful, people person, who gets things done for those who approach him. He has been a very successful DMK South zone organising secretary, paving the way for victory of DPA candidates in all three by-elections in and around Madurai. This time too, nine of the ten DMK candidates came through.
Is the patriarch seeking a post for him in Delhi so that Stalin?s path is cleared for taking over the chief ministership from his father?
Kanimozhi Karunanidhi, 40, the youngest child of M Karunanidhi (daughter of his second wife Rajathi Ammal) kept a low profile for many years. She is modern, intelligent, articulate and a poet. Her friends? circle in Chennai is large and without party members. She is accessible and forthcoming.
Kanimozhi went to the same school, the Presentation Convent, Church Park, where her father?s famous political rival J Jayalalithaa studied. She has a master?s degree in economics from the Ethiraj College. Till recently, she did not show any overt interest in politics.
Her father publicly anointed her as his literary heir. She has poetry collections to her credit, has been behind many new literary movements in Tamil, and has been actively involved in literary publications. However, growing up in a political family, it finally turned out that she could not stay away from politics. She was elected to Rajya Sabha in June 2007 after Dayanidhi Maran was forced to step down as IT minister.
Although she never took an active part in party affairs, she has been an activist in her own way.
Kanimozhi is quite serious about rural development, environment, culture, arts and education. She has successfully organised Chennai Sangamam-Namma Theru Vizha (Our Street Festival), showcasing Chennai?s long-lost traditional art forms for the last three years. She co-manages the Tamil Maiyam, an organisation to promote Tamil literature, arts and culture. She set up Karuthu.com, a free expression forum, along with Karthi Chidambaram, P Chidambaram?s son. She was working on a documentary on her father?s career when Rajya Sabha happened.
Kanimozhi?s induction into mainstream politics has been seen as an attempt to create a new power centre in the DMK. Her nomination to the Rajya Sabha, coming close on the heels of Dayanidhi Maran?s fall from grace assumed great significance in the party. It was said that Kanomizhi would be the DMK?s face in Delhi. To her credit, Kanimozhi has made sure that her political entry would not disturb the existing balance of power in the party. She is friendly with both her half brothers Stalin and Azhagiri. Now that the warring factions, the Marans and Karunanidhi?s family, have patched up their differences, it will be interesting to see what role Kanimozhi will be playing. There will now be three family members in Delhi. Who is going to be the face of the party?
According to the grapevine, Kanimozhi has said that she does not want a ministerial post right now. But the patriarch is keen that she is appointed to the cabinet.