Chennai: Earlier this week, Tamil Nadu minister and son of Chief Minister MK Stalin Udhayanidhi Stalin met his uncle, expelled Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) leader MK Alagiri, at his residence in Madurai. Alagiri and his wife Kanthi stood at the door welcoming their nephew. Kanthi also planted a kiss on Udhayanidhi’s forehead. They exchanged shawls and spent 45 minutes together, and the DMK officially said it was nothing more than a “family meeting”.
Given Alagiri’s staunch staunchness towards his brother Stalin, this brotherhood has raised eyebrows in the corridors of state politics Critic Until two years ago. Political observers told ThePrint that he has also drifted away from mainstream politics and Udhayanidhi is unlikely to gain much political mileage from his closeness.
He, however, said that despite political differences among some members, relations with DMK chief Karunanidhi’s family remained intact. Udhayanidhi’s olive branch to Alagiri could be primarily to secure his position as the DMK successor within the family before securing his position in the party.
Senior political analyst RK Radhakrishnan said, “Udhayanidhi Stalin is a shrewd manipulator who is trying to secure his position within the family.” The first thing anyone needs to do within Karunanidhi’s extended family is to secure their position within. Udhayanidhi seeks Alagiri’s support within the family.
A source close to the family told ThePrint, “Their relationship is intact. Stalin and Alagiri may not be on talking terms, but all else is fine. The family was very unhappy when Alagiri tried to oust Stalin in 2021 (just before the assembly elections).
Udhayanidhi, was a film producer-politician Include As sports development and youth welfare minister in his father’s cabinet last month, he told reporters that he just wanted to seek his uncle’s blessings. Alagiri returned the affection, saying, “My brother’s son is like my son.”
Meanwhile, former DMK MP TKS Elangovan insisted that there was nothing political about the meeting. “It was just a family meeting and barring a few, most of the family members are talking,” he told ThePrint.
sibling rivalry
DMK Pitamah KarunanidhiWho had three wives, four sons and two daughters, of whom only Alagiri, Stalin and Kanimozhi have been in active politics. Karunanidhi’s nephew Murasoli Maran and his son Dayanidhi Maran also hold power in the party.
relationship with stalin kanimozhi Has historically been unstable but has given prominence within the party to his half-sister since Karunanidhi’s death. However, there has always been a political tussle between Stalin and Alagiri.
Party sources close to Stalin said Udhayanidhi’s visit would not have taken place without the CM’s consent. To this, Elangovan said, “He may have been informed but I am not sure.”
While Karunanidhi’s two sons battled for control of politics over the past decade, political analysts say Stalin is now firmly in the saddle and neither he nor Udhayanidhi has room for another power center within the party. Would like to make
“Stalin has completely integrated himself into the party. He is in control and has named Udhayanidhi as his successor. Alagiri has no relevance,” political analyst GC Shekhar told ThePrint, adding that Alagiri’s style is to be active only when the DMK is in power, and crawl into hibernation otherwise.
Political analyst Radhakrishnan said Udhayanidhi’s visit was perhaps unnecessary at a time when Stalin was firmly in control. He said, ‘The factionalism in the party can raise its head from this one meeting. To think that he (Alagiri) can re-enter the party any time is a scary thing for the people of Tamil Nadu. The party will now be confused by what Udhayanidhi has done.
Responding to questions about a possible comeback, Alagiri cryptically told reporters after the meeting, “that you should ask them (the party high command).”
Rise and Fall of Alagiri, Rise and Rise of Stalin
known as Alagiri anja nejan Bravely hailed by its supporters, the management moved the base to Madurai in the 1980s MurasoliDMK mouthpiece. There, he started gaining popularity in southern Tamil Nadu, even though he did not hold any official position in the party. Political commentators say that his growing popularity has made many senior leaders of the region unhappy. defection The party he has formed.
In 2009, he contested for the Lok Sabha from Madurai for the first time and won. He was also made a cabinet minister in the UPA government between 2009 and 2013.
in 2014, alagiri was expelled from the party after openly fighting his brother Stalin and questioning the leadership of his father and party mentor Karunanidhi.
Alagiri kept a low profile until Karunanidhi’s death in 2018. Karunanidhi’s cremation was the last time the two brothers were seen together in public. After his father left, while Stalin was being projected as the face of the DMK and the next CM candidate, alagiri Tried to make inroads in the party. he allegedly said will accept Stalin as the ‘leader’ if he was taken back into the party.
But the then DMK General K.K. Anbalagan turned down their offers, saying that Karunanidhi had expelled Alagiri, and that as a political party, the patriarch’s decision remained.
In 2021, when the party projected Stalin as its chief ministerial candidate and was working to win the upcoming elections, Alagiri had said, “There are always posters that show you (Stalin) the future. The Chief Minister says, but this is not going to happen. My supporters will never let you become the Chief Minister.
Stalin’s landslide victory in the assembly elections that year, when the DMK won 133 out of 234 constituencies, however, cemented him as the party’s undisputed leader, even inspired alagiri To praise his brother.
(Edited by Smriti Sinha)
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