Chennai: Former Union Minister M.K. Alagiri, who had kept away from DMK for the past three years, expressed his willingness on Sunday to resume his political career if his father and party chief M Karunanidhi wished so. Alagiri, the DMK strongman in Southern districts of Tamil Nadu whose wings were clipped ahead of the 2014 general elections, told reporters on his arrival at the airport here from Madurai that his father who has been ailing for some time is doing well and is expected to resume his duties soon. “His (Karunanidhi’s) health is fine. I have come only to meet and check on his health”, Alagiri said, when asked how his father was doing. “I will if he wished so”, he gave a cryptic reply when reporters sought to know whether he would take a plunge into active politics once again.
DMK’s former organising secretary of Southern Tamil Nadu, who has been maintaining a low profile ever since he was sidelined by the party high command, has been in the news recently. He had written a letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi thanking him for visiting his father during his day-long trip to Chennai on November 6. DMK sources said Alagiri’s statement should be seen just as an answer to the question posed by a reporter during an “informal” interaction. Political observers see Alagiri’s recent statements as his way of expressing an interest in taking an active plunge into politics ahead of 2019 Lok Sabha polls.
Alagiri was the undisputed leader of DMK in southern districts for quite long years irrespective of the party’s status at the Fort St George, but his dominance in the party was demolished by his younger brother M.K. Stalin, who now controls the entire DMK leadership. “It would be very difficult for Alagiri to come back to active politics. Stalin would never allow that too at a time when his stature in the party is increasing day by day,” a senior leader said.
