At 86, Karunanidhi couldn't have got better b'day gifts

Chennai: Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M Karunanidhi turns 86 on Wednesday and the state is gearing up for some serious celebration.

After all, the DMK chief will have a special birthday, coming as it is right after the twin triumph of winning a closely-fought Lok Sabha polls and sorting out the succession issue in his family.

On his last birthday, a pensive Karunanidhi had asked his partymen not to celebrate citing "sufferings of Sri Lankan Tamils" but finally went ahead after senior leaders prevailed upon him.

Last year was a difficult one for the DMK chief as he was in the thick of a feud between his family and his grand nephews-the Maran brothers.

But within a year things looked up.

The animosity between the two families eased with both Dayanidhi Maran and Azhagiri becoming ministers in the UPA cabinet.