CHENNAI: After playing spoilsport in some constituencies in south Tamil Nadu during the Assembly elections in May, the supporters of M K Alalgiri, the former strongman who was unceremoniously ousted from the party a couple of years ago, are keeping a curious silence at the poll-bound Tirupparankundram constituency in Madurai district.
As DMK patriarch and Alagiri’s father M Karunanidhi, who is down with illness over the recent days, is keen on accommodating Alagiri back in the party, the Madurai stalwart had instructed his supporters not to play any mischief that could jeopardise their rehabilitation, informed sources said.
Looking forward to ending his agonising wait, Alagiri’s frequent visits to Karunanidhi’s Gopalapuram residence have brought cheers to his supporters who have been in the wilderness ever since he was sent out of the party two years back.
On Friday, too, the former union minister visited his father.
“Alagiri has been frequenting the Gopalapuram residence of our leader in the recent weeks. Our leader is favouring his re-entry into the DMK,” a senior leader told Express.
Although Karunanidhi and the core of his family are willing to rehabilitate him, his younger brother and party treasurer M K Stalin seems to be averse to the idea.
Yet, he may agree, at the insistence of his father, to take Alagiri back by awarding only a primary membership in the party, sources added.
Party officials said that if things move in the right direction, Alagiri may make his re-entry into the party after the November 19 polls.
However, Alagiri’s demand for a berth for himself and his children in the trusts controlled by the DMK with a say in the affairs of management will not be conceded by Stalin, according to sources.
The DMK insiders stated that various trusts own properties worth about `3,000 crore.
In fact, it was apparently the fight for this pie that saw Alagiri being stripped of his positions in the party early in 2014, they said.
According to sources, he had questioned the rationale behind making Stalin’s son Udayanidhi a trustee with unrestricted access to huge wealth. He stressed his family members too be given such a privilege over the huge wealth accumulated by the party.
However, this time around, Stalin would see to it that the issue does not spiral out of control in the future once Alagiri is taken back into the party fold, the sources noted.