While a host of leaders, including the President and Prime Minister, wished Union Minister M K Alagiri on his 62nd birthday, several DMK functionaries and former Ministers, except A Tamilarasi, gave the birthday celebrations of their party’s south zone organising secretary a miss here on Wednesday.
Supporters of Anja Nenjan were left red-faced after several of the party’s functionaries and former ministers — K R Periyakaruppan, Periyarsamy, Thangam Thennarasu and S Thangavelu — from the southern districts, usually regulars at all important family functions of Alagiri, did not turn up.
Prominent Stalin loyalists, including Madurai urban district secretary G Thalapathi, too boycotted the function. Even other family members of party chief M Karunanidhi were conspicuous by their absence at the Raja Muthiah Mandram.
Meanwhile, Kanthi Alagiri and her daughter-in-law Anusha were seen sitting in the front row at the venue, while Durai Dayananidhi stood close by his father. But, Alagiri, who was seemingly in a jubilant mood, told reporters that Karunanidhi had wished him over the phone. “President Pranab Mukherjee and PM Manmohan Singh too wished me,” he added.
What turned out to be a localised function was however bolstered by the huge number of party cadre who showed up. After cutting a cake along at his residence, where his close aide S R Gopi presented him a gold chain, Alagiri and his family left for the function venue in three vehicles around 8.30 am.
Cadre on over 400 two-wheelers rode along with Alagiri’s convoy. Once at the hall, Alagiri distributed welfare aid to tune of Rs 1 crore to 62,000 beneficiaries. He also cut a birthday cake weighing 62 kg. Those who did turn up included district secretary P Moorthy and MP Ritheesh.