On Saturday, the ousted DMK leader and son of later Chief Minister M Karunanidhi, MK Alagiri said that there was nothing wrong in him rejoining his ‘mothership.’ Two days later, the former Union Minister has said that the DMK would suffer consequences, if it failed to re-induct him into its fold.
Alagiri was addressing media persons in Madurai on Monday, a city where he is known to sway a considerable of amount of influence, especially among the DMK electorate. With a ‘silent rally’ planned for September 5 to commemorate the memory of his late father – he was fielding questions on his political future.
In response to a question on why he did not speak up when his brother MK Stalin was named working President of the party, Alagiri said, “Kalaignar kept saying that he would re-induct me, but these people have all prevented him. Kalaignar was alive at that time. He is not alive now. The party has to be saved. With that intention, we have entered into this. If they don't re-induct me, then they will have to suffer the consequences (of that decision).”
When asked if he had invited DMK cadres to participate in the rally, Alagiri said, “This rally is in response to the cadres' call. They had requested that they wanted to pay their respects to Kalaignar under my leadership.”
On Saturday too, a confident Azhagiri said that his rally would pose a threat to the DMK, warning, “Watch how Tamil Nadu accepts me after this rally.”
Moreover, Alagiri, who had blamed the DMK’s embarrassing RK Nagar bypoll defeat on Stalin, also pointed to the dismal electoral performance of the DMK in recent years, stating, “Don't you already know how it (electoral performance) has been? You know well how many elections the DMK has lost and won since 2014. DMK has not won a single election since 2014.”
On Sunday, DMK Working President MK Stalin filed the only nomination for the top job in the party and will, as a result, be elected unopposed. Similarly senior leader and the Principle Secretary of the DMK Duraimurugan is also set to become the Treasurer of the party unopposed.
Stalin and Duraimurugan will be formally elected at the General Council meeting to be held in Chennai on Tuesday, August 28.