Former Union Minister M.K. Alagiri’s outburst against his sidelining in the DMK, from which he was expelled in 2014, is no surprise. But its timing has caused consternation among party leaders and cadre — it has come a day ahead of the party’s emergency executive committee meeting called to pay homage to M. Karunanidhi, who headed the party for nearly 50 years.
Mr. Alagiri appeared to have struck a bit early, considering that the official mourning period was still on. But that is how he is known to function.
Mr. Alagiri, a bank employee, shifted his base in the late 1980s to Madurai to manage the DMK mouthpiece Murasoli but eventually went on to wield enormous clout within the party in southern Tamil Nadu. In the past, he had made no bones about his disenchantment with the party leadership for preferring M.K. Stalin, his younger brother, over him as Karunanidhi’s political successor.
While his attempts to get a reprieve and re-enter the DMK failed during Karunanidhi’s lifetime, Mr. Alagiri appears to have spoken out now as it has become apparent that the party is not keen on rehabilitating him.
Mr. Alagiri’s supporters in Madurai are now planning to showcase his support among party members. “We are waiting for him to come to Madurai,” said K. Isakkimuthu, one of his ardent supporters and former presidium chairman, DMK Madurai urban unit.
Mr. Isakkimuthu told The Hindu that he had spoken to Mr. Alagiri and would soon organise a series of meetings of his supporters across the State. “There has been no proper commemorative meeting in southern Tamil Nadu after our leader’s demise,” he said, claiming that Mr. Alagiri’s expulsion four years ago had weakened the DMK in the south.
‘Orphan status’
“The party has reduced Mr. Alagiri to the condition of an orphan, while the people who had crossed over from other parties are being allowed to hog the limelight,” he alleged.
However, the DMK leadership is not perturbed by the latest development.
“The decision to expel Alagiri was taken by our leader Kalaignar . We have nothing to say in response to his remarks,’ said party legislator and staunch Stalin loyalist J. Anbazhagan.
The party high-command has extended special invitation to DMK MLAs, MPs, district-level organisers and office-bearers to attend Tuesday’s meeting, though they are not members of the executive committee. The idea is to make the meeting as participative as possible and make people rally around Mr. Stalin.
“Alagiri’s supporters call him a strongman and attribute to him the party’s success in the Thirumangalam byelection. Why was he not able to replicate the success in the Sankarankoil byelection even though he was in charge of the constituency?” asked a DMK district secretary.
A few district secretaries from the south contended that Mr. Alagiri wasted a great opportunity to prove his mettle when he was appointed south zone organising secretary.
“He was going through a tough time in his political career after he was arrested in connection with the murder of former Minister T. Kiruttinan. But he bounced back with vengeance, only to fritter every thing away,” said another district secretary.
Mr. Alagiri shone when the DMK was in power. “He could have challenged the AIADMK rule when Jayalalithaa unleashed repressive measures and arrested ex-Ministers and senior leaders. The party in the south would have rallied behind him had he done that,” said the district secretary.
Alagiri’s chequered history
A look at the key moments that marked M.K. Alagiri’s rise and fall in the DMK’s ranks:
Late 1980s: Goes to Madurai to manage Murasoli , the official party organ. Eventually emerges as the DMK’s power centre in southern Tamil Nadu
2001: After being suspended from the party, fields rebel candidates, ensuring the party’s defeat in Assembly elections in many constituencies in southern Tamil Nadu
May 2003: Arrested in connection with the murder of former Minister T. Kiruttinan. Acquitted in 2008
May 2007: Office of Dinakaran daily burnt down by his supporters after a survey by the Tamil newspaper predicts only 2% support for Alagiri as Karunanidhi’s successor
January 2009: Steps into the limelight again with the DMK, under his watch, winning the Thirumangalam Assembly bypoll . Karunanidhi rewards him with the post of DMK south zone organising secretary
May 2009: Wins from the Madurai Lok Sabha constituency with a huge margin of over 1 lakh votes; becomes Union Minister
March 2014:DMK leadership expels him from primary membership of the party
