Straight from the son: Stalin says Karunanidhi won't retire

DMK patriarch and chief minister M Karunanidhi is not going anywhere near retirement, despite his oft repeated desire to do so. Playing down his father's recent and latest hint at taking up only the party post made earlier this week, his son and deputy chief minister MK Stalin reiterated

that his father will be the chief minister if DMK wins the forthcoming assembly elections.
Stepping in to rein excited cadres on Tuesday night at a party rally at Vellore, some 150 km west of Chennai, Stalin declared "let there be no doubt, the DMK will return to power in Tamil Nadu with only Kalaignar as the chief minister."

Karunanidhi is fondly referred to as Kalaignar by his admirers.

Stalin was into a tirade against AIADMK supremo Jayalalithaa when enthusiastic supporters hailed him as the adutha muthavalar (next chief minister). He signaled the party workers to pipe down and made his assertion that the next government would be headed by his father only.

Stalin's reiteration runs contrary to belief and speculation among DMK circles that were hoping to see a change of guard, following Karunanidhi's comments made just two days before, that he would be far more happy being the party boss rather than head the government.

Karunanidhi's comments made at the marriage function of a relative of a state minister at DMK headquarters on Monday, led to speculations of succes [...]