Stalin expresses displeasure over missed chance to oust govt

A few district secretaries, in whose jurisdiction the party had lost Assembly bypolls, were even denied audience despite waiting for a couple of days to ingratiate themselves with the party leadership. Stalin, who had promised in almost all campaign rallies and road shows that the government led by Edappadi K Palaniswami would fall post May 23, was understood to have reprimanded a few for not putting enough effort to topple the incumbent regime.

Former health minister KKSSR Ramachandran, who was among the fortunate few to secure Stalin’s audience, was cold shouldered by the party chief. Sources privy to the meeting revealed that the DMK chief had advised the former health minister to “not expect much from him in future,” apparently, upset over the party falling a few seats short to trigger a regime change.

Meanwhile, the in-house think-tank run by Stalin’s family members has presented a report on the cadre mood after the party failed to get required numbers to topple the government. The think-tank was learnt to have advised Stalin to poach a few MLAs from the rival camp with lucrative offers to unseat Edappadi K Palaniswami.

However, the DMK president was in a state of dilemma, courtesy a good number of insecure DMK MLAs, who were averse to face fresh elections anytime soon. The insecure MLAs were either apprehensive of getting reelected or ticket to contest in the event of the state going for a full-fledged Assembly polls, a DMK senior requesting anonymity said. He added that the mindset of cadre prevailed over, prompting Stalin to give the go ahead to his close confidants to secure the numbers to pull the plugs on Palaniswami regime. Ironically, moves or rather offers made by the DMK negotiators were not attractive enough for the MLAs to even consider a change in their loyalty.