Alagiri Expelled, Threatens Legal Action
The DMK high command on Tuesday expelled former south zone organising secretary M K Alagiri, who, in turn, vowed to take general secretary, K Anbazhagan, to court for dismissing him without serving any showcause notice.
Addressing the media at his house in Madurai, Alagiri said he and his supporters would always be part of the DMK, which they had nurtured. He claimed party chief M Karunanidhi, who had been compelled to make the decision by two persons in the party, has become a puppet. Earlier, a statement from Anbazhagan said the decision to enforce disciplinary action against Alagiri had been made as he continued to ‘bring disrepute to the party and its leadership’ even after being suspended.
“DMK’s former south zone organising secretary M K Alagiri is being dismissed from the party as he has continued to bring disrepute to the party and its leadership and has caused confusion despite being suspended from the party for acting against its interests,” read the statement.
The expulsion is the culmination of the pitched succession battle in the DMK, between Alagiri and his brother M K Stalin. The issue had escalated decisively in Stalin’s favour with the suspension of Alagiri loyalists earlier this year. This was followed by Alagiri’s own expulsion on January 24. The announcement came at a time when speculation is rife that the Madurai-based leader could launch his own party, to which he had responded with cryptic restraint.