Alagiri men may give party nominees sleepless nights

By S. Annamalai

MADURAI, APRIL 5. Besides having to compensate for the loss of the MDMK from its fold, the ruling DMK is burdened with the unenviable task of coming to terms with the `Alagiri factor' in southern districts. The Chief Minister's elder son, Mr. M. K. Alagiri, who played a key role in the selection and nomination of DMK functionaries for important positions in this region in the past decade, now finds himself watching the party affairs from the sidelines. His enigmatic silence has been cause for worry both to his supporters and detractors in the party, even as pressure to reinstate him mounts within the DMK.

Despite the high command diktat that no worker have truck with Mr. Alagiri, even senior party functionaries continue to hobnob with him with the fond hope that blood will prove to thicker than water at the hustings. Mr. Alagiri, on the other hand, has been keen on proving his hold on the workers. He went to the extent of expressing a willingness to take on the DMK as Independent in one of the city constituencies. However, he did a somersault while addressing a function in Ramanathapuram district, exhorting workers to strive for the victory of DMK candidates. Party insiders say attempts were also made by those close to Mr. Alagiri to enter the AIADMK. DMK circles discount the possibility of Mr. Alagiri crossing over to the AIADMK, maybe with one or two MLAs, on election-eve. It is pointed out in AIADMK circles that the burden of Ms. Jayalalitha's campaign would be on Mr. Alagiri and his ``deeds in the southern districts''. If the DMK attempted to resurrect the Dharmapuri bus burning, incident during election campaign, it would be countered with the incidents of bus burning by Mr. Alagiri's supporters in the southern districts.

But the question foremost in the minds of DMK supporters is whether Mr. Alagiri will be able to rock the DMK boat in this region. Bearing this scenario in mind, the high command has carefully weaned away his core supporters to the Stalin camp. One of his closest associates, Mr. M. Pandian, Madurai Deputy Mayor, has been detained in a murder case. Keen on curbing Mr. Alagiri's growing influence, the DMK clipped the wings of some of the functionaries and suspended some from the party. While a few were taken back after they demonstrated their loyalty to Mr. Stalin, many of Mr. Alagiri's supporters have been left in the lurch. Nowadays, Mr. Alagiri himself is keeping a low profile, avoiding the media.

Meanwhile, pressure is being brought on the leadership to restore Mr. Alagiri to his old glory. Hundreds of telegrams have been sent from Madurai, Theni, Dindigul, Sivaganga, Virudhunagar and Ramanathapuram districts to the party headquarters, demanding ``due recognition'' for Mr. Alagiri as that would improve the party's chances of winning in the south.

A party functionary in Ramanathapuram claimed that telegrams were being sent ``in their thousands'' from all southern districts, even from those who are in no way connected with the DMK. Though the telegrams bear the names of party functionaries at different levels, especially those from a particular telegraph office in the city, some of the functionaries, when contacted, denied knowledge of this development. But the supporters of two MLAs in Virudhunagar and Sivaganga districts, besides the detractors of a Minister, are said to be indulging in this exercise, along with the Madurai supporters of Mr. Alagiri.

Neutral leaders are yearning for unity in party ranks at this juncture. Even Mr. Karunanidhi, who launched the DMK's campaign at a public meeting here last month, began his speech laying accent on `unity and cordiality'. It is a fact that Mr. Alagiri does not have a mass following in any of the constituencies in the southern districts. But his supporters have the ability to cause loss of sleep to the DMK nominees.

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Section  : Southern States
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