MADURAI: Taking on his younger brother and DMK president MK Stalin, former union minister MK Alagiri on Sunday said that Stalin cannot become the Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu. The elder son of late DMK patriarch M Karunanidhi said his supporters will not allow Stalin to rule the State.
Alagiri, who was expelled from the DMK by his father in 2014, had sought to be re-inducted in the party.
After receiving the cold shoulder, he announced he would decide his next course of action after meeting with supporters. This meeting was held in Madurai on Sunday evening amid thousands of supporters.
Speaking to the large crowd, Alagiri said he had been quiet and patient for seven long years, but would remain silent no more.
"Kalaignar (Karunanidhi) is the life-breath of the party but they (Stalin and others) have forgotten him and are running the party," Alagiri said.
Pointing to a recent statement from DMK senior functionaries in which it was stated that Stalin outshines Karunanidhi, Alagiri said that at no point could Stalin transcend the qualities and character of Karunanidhi. “No one can replace Kalaignar," he said.
Alagiri said that after he was expelled from the party he met his father and asked when he would be reinducted. “To this, he replied, ‘let’s wait for some to finish mucking around,” he claimed, citing this as a jibe at Stalin.
He said that he was the one who had recommended to his father that Stalin be made treasurer of the party.
He claimed that he had assented when his father sought his opinion on elevating Stalin as deputy CM.
“So what mistake did I commit? Was it wrong to make DMK win several elections,” he questioned his brother.
"When Stalin once visited my home, I told him I do not need any party posts. I even told him that he would be the one to lead the party after Kalaignar. Can Stalin deny this? I don't know why Stalin betrayed me” Alagiri said.
He added that when he was offered the post of DMK south zone organising secretary, he initially rejected it. “But after taking the post, I made many people ministers in those days but everyone has been deceitful behind my back,” he said.
Once hailed for his notorious 'Thirumangalam Formula', Alagiri recalled that Stalin and Dayanidhi Maran had pleaded with him to work for the bypoll to ensure victory.
"The Thirumangalam formula is not about money. It's about hard work. The hard work of Kalaignar. If we had failed in that election, the then DMK government would have been out of power,” he said.
Referring to DMK founder CN Annadurai’s famous phrase, "Edhaiyum Thangum Idhayam" (heart that can bear anything, Alagiri asked his followers to wait and accept his decision, whatever it may be, whenever it may be made.