Chennai: Enraged over the repeated attacks on the party by his elder son and suspended leader M K Alagiri, DMK chief M Karunanidhi on Tuesday expelled him from the party.
Expelled son Alagiri said on Tuesday evening that he will challenge the expulsion in court.
The stringent action comes in the backdrop of Alagiri repeatedly targeting DMK leaders, especially making veiled attacks on his younger brother M K Stalin and others over selection of candidates for the April 24 Lok Sabha polls and other issues.
Karunanidhi said the decision to expel Alagiri was taken in the wake of the Madurai strongman's failure to reply to notice seeking explanation on his acts of alleged indiscipline which had led to his suspension on January 24.
"General Secretary (Anbazhagan) and I discussed the matter and took a decision-- he is being expelled from the party," he said while speaking to reporters from a car with Stalin seated beside him.
The 89-year-old leader, outlining the reasons for taking the drastic step, said, "He (Alagiri) had been suspended and his explanation was sought but did not reply. He was further criticising DMK and its leaders."
Karunanidhi's action also comes in the wake of bitter rival MDMK leader Vaiko, who has aligned with BJP-led NDA, meeting Alagiri seeking his support for his Virudhunagar Lok Sabha candidature. This was followed by candidates of BJP and Congress calling on him for drumming up support for themselves.
Amid all these developments, Alagiri kept the cards close to his chest on his future political moves and has been harping that he would take a decision after consulting all his supporters.
DMK had last week warned party workers against having any truck with Alagiri after he started holding meetings of his supporters.
DMK has rejected Congress overtures for renewing alliance and is fighting the polls in 39 Lok Sabha seats in Tamil Nadu with smaller outfits like VCK, IUML, PT and MMK.
Alagiri, representing Madurai in the current Lok Sabha, had embarrassed the party recently when he met Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and BJP President Rajnath Singh, setting off speculation of a realignment.
He had, however, dismissed the meetings as 'courtesy calls.' Alagiri was credited with strengthening DMK in southern Tamil Nadu by virtue of being its Organising Secretary, South.
In the 2009 Lok Sabha polls, the DMK-led alliance bagged eight of the nine seats in the southern region with Alagiri himself winning comfortably from Madurai.
However, he as well as his loyalists were denied tickets to contest the general elections.
This is the second time DMK has cracked the whip against Alagiri. In September 2000 too he was isolated for "anti-party" activities with the party asking workers not to have any contact with him. But the move then had triggered violence in Madurai.
However, after the party's severe drubbing in the 2001 Assembly polls, Azhagiri was rehabilitated.
