DMK chief dissolves Madurai unit

Madurai: DMK president M. Karu­n­a­nidhi’s indifference to his sons’ squabbles has cost the party again.

The DMK leadership was on Saturday forced to disband its Madurai district unit after functionaries close to Karunanidhi’s el­der son and south zone or­g­anising secretary M.K. Alagiri indulged in anti-party activities in the sou­thern town, violating their leader Kalaignar’s diktat.

Party general secretary K. Anbazhagan in an offic­ial release announced the disbanding of the entire di­strict and its subordin­ate units and constituted a six-member caretaker co­m­mittee.

Once Alagiri co­n­fidant and now Stalin lo­yalist G. Thalapathi has been appointed committee president. Stalin has won round one of the bout if one were to study the composition of the committee, which comprises only two Alagiri loyalists, C. Chinn­ammal and Paaki­yan­a­th­an, while three of the oth­er four, V. Veluchamy, M. Ja­yaram and M. Set­hu­r­a­m­alingam are die-hard Stalin lieutenants in the temple town.

The dissolution was no knee-jerk reaction as the leadership had all six committee members and its pre­sidents present at An­na Arivalayam even by late Friday.

Saturday’s dissolution order is perceived by party circles as miffed leadership’s cold-shoulder to Al­a­giri who ignored father-party chief Karunanidhi’s warning and issued statements equivalent to running a parallel party in the district by stating that he would discuss and decide whether to express regret for intimidating overtures.

Alagiri loyalists’ misch­ief also includes erecting several intimidating hoa­rdings, some of which projected anjanenjan (as Al­agiri is fondly called) as he­­ad of a breakaway faction of the DMK.

A senior party MP told Deccan Chronicle that it’s a definite setback to the party, especially when mo­mentum was building up after the divorce with Con­gress ahead of the Lok Sabha polls.

“This is a planned mischief. Be it by poll or alliance, thalapathi is calling the shots now. Their (Alagiri and company) intention is to disturb this,” the MP quickly add­ed also blaming Karun­anidhi for fuelling the discord by keeping mum.

Another party executive committee member admitted that Stalin was not accessible to some and Madurai mischief-makers were trying to woo them and widen their base.