DMK fields 2G scam-tainted A. Raja for LS polls, Alagiri denied ticket

Chennai: The DMK has denied a ticket to party chief M Karunanidhi’s eldest son M K Alagiri for the upcoming Lok Sabha polls – a move widely seen at punishing him for a sustained campaign against younger brother M K Stalin, the chosen heir of their father.

Alagiri was suspended from the party recently and his constituency Madurai has been assigned to another partyman. ‘”Don’t hurt me by asking about Alagiri,” Karunanidhi is reported to have told the media after he announced names of candidates.

The party has given tickets to two former Union ministers who are being investigated for corruption – A Raja and Dayanidhi Maran. They will represent their 2009 constituencies.

Maran is being investigated by the CBI for allegedly pressuring the sale of Aircel to a Malaysian firm whose owner made a substantial investment in Sun Networks which is owned by his brother. He was Union Telecom minister then. Raja replaced Maran as Telecom minister but is accused of accepting bribes for doling out mobile networks at throwaway prices.

Karunanidhi has also announced a candidate in Sivaganga, represented in Parliament by Union Finance minister P Chidambaram. This looks like Karunanidhi is not considering an alliance with the Congress for the imminent general elections.

The DMK quit the Congress-led UPA coalition in March, 2013, accuding the Centre of not taking “strong action” against the Sri Lankan government for alleged atrocities against resident Tamils.