Chennai: Will DMK treasurer and leader of the opposition in the Tamil Nadu Assembly MK Stalin be allowed to take over the party as its full-fledged leader at the next general council meeting, scheduled to be held on January 4 at Anna Arivalayam under the leadership of party patriarch M Karunanidhi?

Already, Karunanidhi has anointed Stalin as his political successor, the chosen one to lead the party, in several public utterances, the most recent one in an interview to Tamil Magazine Ananda Vikatan’s anniversary special issue two months ago.

The DMK general council meet was to be held this month, but was deferred owing to the illness and hospitalisation of Karunanidhi.

DMK General Secretary K Anbazhagan said in a press statement issued here on Monday that the general council, originally slated on December 20, will now be held next month. There has been an increasing chorus from Stalin supporters for his elevation. According to DMK sources, Stalin could be made something equivalent to working president even though his father remains the president, the final arbiter of the party.