The former Union Minister, M.K. Alagiri, who was expelled from the DMK, has said that the coming Lok Sabha poll is not the last election for party president and his father M. Karunanidhi but only for partymen who are after power.
In a veiled reference to defeating party candidates who are outsiders, Mr. Alagiri appealed to his supporters to teach such persons a lesson in this election.
Addressing a function organised by a DMK cadre at Kalkurichi near Aruppukottai on Sunday, he said Mohammed Jaleel, who was new to the party, had been given ticket to fight from Ramanathapuram.
“He had never met the cadre of the party . How will the cadre have a mindset to vote for such a candidate? Does the DMK not have a suitable cadre to be fielded in this constituency? Has no DMK cadre worked for the party in Ramanathapuram district,” Mr. Alagiri asked.
Mr. Jaleel had not participated in any of the protests organised by the party such as the anti-Hindi agitation, he said.
Mr. Alagiri flayed the party district secretaries of Virudhunagar and Ramanathapuram for having selected “an affluent person and a trader” as candidates for Ramanathapuram and Virudhunagar “for a consideration.”
The former Union Minister said he was instrumental in the party’s victory in byelections in southern districts in the past. “[AIADMK general secretary] Jayalalithaa was afraid of fielding her candidates in three by-elections. The party rewarded me with the post of south zone organising secretary, but without any power. I could not take any action against any party cadre. They used to undo all my action without my knowledge,” he charged. The party president (Mr. Karunanidhi) was being taken for a ride at Arivalayam, Mr. Alagiri said.
Referring to Mr. Karunanidhi’s statement that the 2014 Lok Sabha polls could be the last election for him, he said, “It would certainly be not the last election for you [Mr. Karunanidhi], but only for those who are after power in the party.”
Mr. Karunanidhi did not expect to become the party president or Chief Minister when he joined the party. He kept the party strong whenever it faced challenges. “But, power-hungry people are getting ready to sideline him [Mr. Karunanidhi],” Mr. Alagiri said.
