Chennai: DMK MP Kanimozhi and former telecom minister A Raja returned to a raucous welcome in Chennai on Saturday with a sea of supporters cheering them on from the airport till party patriarch Karunanidhi’s residence.
Two days after being acquitted in the 2G spectrum scam case, Kanimozhi met her father Karunanidhi and half-brother MK Stalin at their iconic Gopalpuram residence.
The family and their loyalists were all smiles as Stalin presented golden shawls to both Kanimozhi and Raja.
The 'kodak moment' of their reunion, however, was the hug initiated by Kanimozhi and reciprocated by Stalin. Stalin then hugged Raja too.
“My father was very happy to see me and welcome me after the verdict," Kanimozhi told reporters after her homecoming.
In an interview to a news channel, Kanimozhi had said on Friday that she wants to contest the 2019 Lok Sabha elections. "I will ask the party if I can... the party has to make a decision. I always wanted to contest elections... to have a constituency and to be able to work and see things happening," she had said.
That permission would probably have to come from Stalin, who is the party’s working president and Karunanidhi’s heir apparent.
Stalin is the son of Karunanidhi and his second wife Dayalu Ammal, while Kanimozhi is the DMK patriarch’s daughter from third wife Rajathi. With Kanimozhi’s triumphant return to the party-fold, equations within the DMK and its first family are also likely to change.
Kanimozhi may emerge as yet another power centre in the party, posing a challenge to Stalin, who is already at loggerheads with his brother Alagiri.
But that may come later. For now, all is well in the family.
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