Chennai:
Caught in the midst of sibling rivalry involving his two sons to gain control of the party, octogenarian DMK chief M Karunanidhi said on Wednesday that he would contest for the top party post next year if he lives to see that day.
"I will contest (for the post) If I am alive after one year," he told reporters in Chennai in what is seen as a message to his sons, union Minister MK Alagiri and MK Stalin to put an end to the tug of war on the succession issue.
Initially reluctant to answer the query whether he would contest the organisational election, the 89-year-old Karunanidhi said a year was still left for it but spoke about him contesting again when prodded more by the reporters.
DMK, smarting from its poor show in the April 2011 assembly elections, is dogged by intra-party differences between the camps headed by Mr Alagiri and Mr Stalin.
The succession issue has remained unresolved with Mr Alagiri coming out openly in the past saying he would not accept any leader other than Mr Karunanidhi while supporters of Mr Stalin lose no opportunity to push for his elevation.
The monolithic DMK, known for discipline in its ranks, had recently appointed a committee to look into the matter with Mr Karunanidhi himself declaring that trouble-makers would be watched carefully.
On the statement by Dravidar Kazhagam leader K Veeramani backing APJ Abdul Kalam for a second term as President, the DMK chief said, "that is his view. I don't differ from that."
He, however, recalled that he had conveyed to Congress emissary and Defence Minister AK Antony the party's stand on the presidential candidate during their meeting recently.
On May 5, Mr Karunanidhi said he had no objection if Union Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee was chosen as UPA's Presidential candidate.