Karunanidhi had ability to inspire loyalty and that loyalty never left him

There has been an orderly transition within the DMK and Stalin is now in complete control of the party

In over 70 years of his political life, Karunanidhi contributed immensely to establishing social justice platform and encouraging Tamil language in the state. For the last 40 years, from 1975 onwards, there have been only three major players in the Tamil Nadu politics - Karunanidhi, MGR and Jayalalithaa. With Karunanidhi's death, there is a huge vacuum in the politics of the state and who is going to fill that vacuum is a big question. Though Mr Stalin is certainly pre-eminent among those who are there now, he himself admits that he has not reached the same height as his father.