After being publicly chastised for his comments over a possible alliance with Vijaykanth's party the DMDK, MK Alagiri, the elder son of party chief M Karunanidhi, was today suspended from all party posts for allegedly indulging in 'anti-party' activities.
The statement from the party said that the leader had been expelled from all party posts because he had indulged in anti-party activities. It wasn't clear for how long this suspension would apply.
The former minister, who is a Member of Parliament from Madurai, had earlier been criticised by Karunanidhi on 7 January for making comments over the possible alliance with the DMDK for the Lok Sabha elections.
Alagiri has resisted changes in the party. Firstpost
Karunanidhi had told Alagiri to toe the party line or he could face expulsion.
"I make it clear that those who make such unnecessary contrasting remarks and thus try to affect party discipline, whoever they are, disciplinary action will be initiated against them and they will be expelled, even from party membership," he said, adding, this decision applied to all DMK members at all times.
Alagiri's younger brother Stalin had also snubbed him at Tiruchirappalli, welcoming his party's possible alliance with DMDK besides quipping that he doesn't read such "unnecessary news items," when asked about Alagiri's views.
While the 90-year-old DMK chief had at times hinted that Stalin could well be his successor, Alagiri had challenged that, saying he would not accept anyone other than Karunanidhi as his leader.
At the time Firstpost editor G Pramod Kumar had pointed out that one reason the DMK patriarch was going to be harsher on the elder son was because he's been losing influence even in Madurai:
For well over two decades, he ruled the DMK in Maudrai and the southern districts as his fiefdom. The leadership was happy because as the undisputed strongman, he delivered. But now, his district unit has been disbanded and replaced with Stalin sympathisers.
His stronghold of men and infrastructure has been disrupted. Alagiri also has several cases pending against him. In fact, the erosion of his stock in the party as well as among people was complete when the DMK lost all the 10 assembly seats in his stronghold, Madurai in the 2011 elections. It's only natural in politics that you lose your empire and men when you lose power.
Alagiri may be brought back into the fold in the event that he toes the party line, or rather Karunanidhi and Stalin's line, from here on. Failure to do so may only result in more action.
with inputs from PTI
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