M Karunanidhi on Monday criticised re-elected Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa after his son and Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam treasurer MK Stalin was placed in the 16th row at her swearing-in ceremony. The DMK chief said that Jayalalithaa “deliberately humiliated” Stalin by placing others like actor-turned-politician Sarath Kumar in front during the event. Sarath Kumar did not win a seat in this election, Karunanidhi pointed out, while Stalin was treasurer of the main Opposition party. The DMK won 89 of the state’s 234 Assembly seats.
Karunanidhi added that the DMK was “insulted” in a planned manner, PTI reported. Stalin broke tradition by attending Jayalalithaa’s swearing-in despite being a senior leader in the rival DMK.
The All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam chief was re-elected as chief minister last week, becoming the first leader to be re-elected to the post in 32 years.
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