Even before the defeat of the party at the hustings could sink in, a blame game seems to have begun in the DMK camp. According to sources, many in the DMK are of the view that former telecom minister A. Raja and Rajya Sabha MP and party chief M. Karunanidhi’s daughter Kanimozhi are responsible for the debacle as they disgraced the party in the 2G spectrum scam.
Party insiders also blame the Udayanidhi Stalin and Dayanidhi Alagiri for having brought about the downfall of the party. They happen to be sons of Union minister M.K. Alagiri and former deputy chief minister M.K. Stalin.
Sources in the DMK feel that Mr Raja and Ms Kanimozhi connived and deliberately kept Mr Karunanidhi in the dark over the 2G scam. By the time the leadership could come to terms with the enormity of the scam, it was too late, sources contend.
There is a unanimous view at various levels of the party that apart from issues like power shortage, law and order and family rule, it was the 2G scam that contributed greatly to one of the party’s worst ever performances. In the case of Mr Udayanidhi Stalin and Mr Dayanidhi Alagiri, sources revealed that they had become too powerful for their age and stature. Apart from controlling the cine field by virtue of hailing from the DMK’s first family, they also resorted to goondaism and had a say in government appointments. That reflected very poorly on the party and did it in. The Maran brothers too exercised a lot of control over the movie industry and appointment of officials, sources said.
In addition, the local leaders of the DMK had become regional satraps and started doing things with impunity. They were confident that nothing would come of their actions, as their party was not only ruling the state, but also shared power at the Centre, sources said.
Above all, sources said that they never expected the Election Commission to be so strict in implementing the spirit of the law that it became virtually impossible for the party to have its way at every stage of the poll process.
In a lighter vein, sources also said that it is ironical that the television set that was distributed all over free of cost made the 2G scam infamous in every nook and corner of the state and finally bruised the party like never before in history.