Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam chief M Karunanidhi on Tuesday said that he will be the chief minister of Tamil Nadu if his party wins the upcoming state Assembly election. “Stalin [his son] himself doesn’t want to become chief minister. He wants the DMK president [Karunanidhi] to become chief minister. I have never lost [an election] since 1957. Therefore, if I win, it will be the sixth time [as chief minister],” the 91-year-old said in an interview with NDTV.

When questioned about party members who wanted Stalin to be given a chance to stand for the post, Karunanidhi said for his son to get the opportunity, “nature has to do something to [him]”, PTI reported. Tamil Nadu state Assembly elections are scheduled for May 16.

The matter of Karunanidhi naming a successor has been debated hotly among DMK party leaders, even though Stalin is considered the obvious political heir. Karunanidhi himself has indicated the same on numerous occasions. However, Stalin, who was the deputy chief minister in the previous DMK government, has faced competition from his elder brother MK Alagiri, who had expressed interest in the top post. Alagiri was expelled from the DMK for anti-party activities.