Alagiri meets PM

New Delhi: Suspended DMK leader M K Alagiri, DMK president M Karunanidhi's son and older brother of party treasurer M K Stalin, sent shock waves in the DMK camp by calling on Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, fuelling speculation that he would launch a new party and tie up with the Congress.

The recent suspension of Alagiri and several of his supporters was followed by denial of tickets to Alagiri and his supporters, seen as a move to sideline him.

Alagiri denied that there was any political aim behind his meeting with the PM. He said it was a courtesy call and merely wanted to thank him for supporting him as a Union minister for nearly five years. He was accompanied by senior party leader K P Ramalingam.

He said there was no plan to launch a new party. However, he said he would play a role in the Lok Sabha elections, and would take a decision after consulting his supporters.

Alaigir said the DMK faced a rout in the Lok Sabha elections, and will struggle even to win a couple of seats. He described the BJP alliance as a strong one.

The DMK alliance will win only one or two seats, he said adding that even winning two seats would be a great achievement for the party in the present situation.

The DMK would suffer due to poor candidate selection, ignoring loyal men. Only crorepatis had been selected, while loyalty and service had been ignored.

He decried the trend of dictatorship in the party where district secretaries acted like chieftains.  

The DMK is like a mud horse, and cannot ride it, he added.