DMK adopts resolution demanding 'Bharat Ratna' for Karunanidhi, elects MK Stalin as president

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Chennai: Shortly after MK Stalin's elevation to the post of party president, the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) General Council passed a resolution, urging the Centre to confer 'Bharat Ratna' to former Tamil Nadu chief minister M Karunanidhi. The DMK patriarch breathed his last on August 7 in Chennai Kauvery Hospital.

Bharat Ratna is the highest civilian award conferred irrespective of race, occupation, position, or sex in recognition of some exceptional service or performance of the highest order. The development comes at the party's General Council meeting which was held at DMK's headquarters in Chennai.

At the meeting, Stalin was elected as the president of DMK. The election of Stalin as the DMK's second president was fairly a smooth affair as all the 65 district secretaries of the party proposed his name for the top post and his is the only nomination. He had submitted his nomination on August 26 and has become the second president of the party, a post which was held by his father Karunanidhi for 49 long years.

Stalin was serving the party as its working president since January 2017 after Karunanidhi's health did not permit him to preside over the affairs of the party. His elevation as the party supremo became a necessity after Karunanidhi passed away.

Karunanidhi had already named Stalin as his political heir. The transition of power was formalised when Stalin was made the working president of DMK after Karunanidhi's health did not permit him to preside over the affairs of the party.