Alagiri challenges Stalin's claim to DMK throne, says party cadre with him

Alagiri said he was not in the DMK and didn't know about the party's Tuesday meeting

A day ahead of a key meeting of the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) executive council, political bickering between brothers MK Alagiri and MK Stalin spilled out in public yet again.   

Alagiri, the 67-year-old eldest son of DMK patriarch M Karunanidhi, claimed that his brother Stalin did not want him in the party, while making it clear that he had the support of his father's loyalists. 

DMK members, on the other hand, did not refrain from hitting out at Alagiri, calling him a "frustrated man".

     

The former Union minister visited Chennai's Marina Beach on Tuesday to pay homage to his father, who had expelled Alagiri in 2014 for reportedly a continued slanderous attack on party leaders. “I came to my father's grave to express my feelings and sentiments. You will come to know about it (his political stand) later," he said, adding, "I do not know about tomorrow's emergency executive meeting because I am not in the DMK, but I know my father's supporters are with me."Alagiri even alleged that DMK leaders were in touch with Rajinikanth and party posts were being sold. He rebuked the present leaders for destroying the party.   

As the two sides traded charges,  DMK District Secretary J Anbazhagan told a local news channel that "Alagiri has no right and no place to comment on Stalin as he is not part of the DMK. He is making these statements out of jealousy." Reports stated that Anbazhagan had advised party insiders against any attempt to re-admit Alagiri in the party.

On whether the anguish was to do with party or personal issues, Alagiri said, “My anguish is related to party matter.” He is currently in political exile and resides in Madurai, southern Tamil Nadu. From the graveyard Alagiri drove to his father’s house at Gopalapuram. Noticing his brother walking in, Stalin made a move to other part of the house. 

An urgent meeting of the DMK executive committee is scheduled here for Tuesday to condole the death of party president Karunanidhi. If reports are to be believed, the decision to make Stalin party president may be taken at the meeting, even though he will be elected president only at the general council meeting, expected to take place next month. 

In 2013, Alagiri questioned Karunanidhi's decision to announce Stalin as his successor, stating, "DMK is not a Mutt, for anybody to nominate." After his expulsion from the party in 2014 owing to a family dispute, a disgruntled Alagiri tried to mobilise his own followers.

The rift between the brothers hit the headlines when Alagiri made a comment that he would not accept anybody else except his father - who had reportedly overlooked him to name Stalin as his political heir - as his leader.

When the party saw a failure in the RK Nagar bypoll in 2017 to win the assembly seat, which fell vacant after the demise of J Jayallithaa, Alagiri said, "Not just the RK Nagar bypoll, the DMK will not henceforth win any election. There is no chance of that as long as this working president (Stalin) is there."

Alagiri's repeated efforts to enter the party failed to materialise as Stalin quickly took a firm grip on DMK.