CHENNAI: DMK high-level meeting held on Monday did not discuss anything about inducting MK Alagiri back into the party fold, sources told Express. This, despite Alagiri’s supporters issuing a threat that the expelled leader would float a new outfit and challenge DMK unless he is taken back. The BJP, which is keen on making inroads into Tamil Nadu, had extended an open invitation to Alagiri.
Party sources tell Express that Stalin is not keen on sharing the credit of the “upcoming election victory” with his elder brother or any other family member except his son Udhayanidhi Stalin, who now heads the youth wing. That apart, inducting Alagiri again at this point would put many senior functionaries in southern Tamil Nadu in trouble, as most of them made their career by standing up against Alagiri.
This might also cause confusion at a time when the party is trying to unite its forces to win the electoral battle.The high-level meeting not discussing Alagiri’s future is likely to upset his supporters. After rumours started doing rounds last week, about the one-time Madurai strongman joining the BJP, those close to him claimed the “family had assured to reinduct him and give him an honourable post.”
“The meeting discussed only our campaign schedule and ways to deal with the hurdles being put to it by the State government,” said a source who attended the meeting. People close to Alagiri could not be reached for their comments despite attempts. “It’s unlikely that Alagiri would be reinducted at this point,” said DMK sources.
“Stalin took full credit of the clean sweep that the DMK made in the Lok Sabha polls of 2019. In the Assembly polls too, he does not want to share credit with anyone except his son. That is why Udhayanidhi was chose to kick-off the party’s poll campaign,” said the source.
Interestingly, KP Ramalingam, former secretary of the DMK’s farmers wing, who was recently expelled from DMK, joined BJP on Saturday. Also an Alagiri loyalist, Ramalingam declared that he would work to bring Alagiri into BJP’s fold.
High-level committee meet decides to go ahead with campaign tour
Chennai: The DMK high-level committee has decided to go ahead with its campaign tour as per schedule despite the State government banning political campaigns during the pandemic. The committee held a meeting, chaired by party chief MK Stalin, at Anna Arivalayam on Monday during which current political scenario and party affairs ahead of the next Assembly election were discussed. The meeting condemned the “police excesses” faced by Udhayanidhi Stain during his campaign tour. The meeting decided that the party’s campaign tour -- Stalinin Kural-Vidiyalai Nokki (Stalin’s message for a new dawn) -- will continue as per the plan and warned the government and police against trying to stop the tour.