Chennai
Late DMK patriarch M Karunanidhi’s elder son MK Alagiri on Sunday said his estranged younger brother MK Stalin, who heads the party now, can never become the Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu. “My supporters would never allow you to become the Chief Minister,” he said at a meeting of his supporters in Madurai.
However, the former Union Minister and ex-DMK south zone organising secretary made no announcement of floating a political party as speculated by some sections. Making no commitment on his political course, he appealed to his supporters to be prepared for everything but endorse whatever decision he took. “I may or may not take a decision but you should abide by it,” he said.
Alagiri, once a powerful party satrap in south Tamil Nadu, was expelled from the DMK by his father in 2014 when during a heated argument in the house he told him, “Stalin would die soon”.
Claiming he was never after power or positions, Alagiri said he had in fact told Stalin he would succeed his father politically. “Stalin’s conscience knows this. I told him he will be the Chief Minister after Karunandihi. I was the one who spoke to my father asking him to make Stalin the DMK treasurer. Karunanidhi consulted me before making Stalin the Deputy CM,” he claimed.
Referring to Stalin’s supporters printing posters hailing him as ‘Future Chief Minister’, Alagiri said they will have to keep printing as he would never ascend to the post. Stalin was no match for Karunanidhi in any aspect. In a startling claim, he said Karunanidhi was reluctant to contest in the 2016 Assembly poll from Tiruvarur due to his fragile health and old age. “But he was compelled to contest as Stalin desired to become CM and he knew only by projecting Karunanidhi he could win. Eventually, Karunanidhi’s old age became visible at campaign meetings when he began repeating himself,” Alagiri said.
Analysts felt Alagiri was sending out a final signal to his brother to accommodate him in the party or at least give some position to his son Durai Dhayanidhi. It was unlikely he would float or join any party but the possibility of him fielding rebel candidates in some constituencies to defeat the official DMK candidate was not ruled out.
