Whether M.K.Alagiri will succeed in distancing Kanimozhi and tainted Raja from party affairs.

Whether M.K.Alagiri will succeed in distancing Kanimozhi and tainted Raja from party affairs.


Last few days back in the alliance with the Congress that bothered Tamil Nadu chief minister M Karunanidhi earlier, now it is rebellion from a family member that is threatening to cause him embarrassment. Sources say Union minister and Karunanidhi’s older son M K Alagiri is threatening to step down as Union minister for chemicals and fertilizers and quit from the party post of south organising secretary, expressing unhappiness over “several issues, both personal and those relating to party affairs”.


A day after the renewed friendship between the Congress and the DMK, marked by a quote by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh that the alliance remained strong, talk of Alagiri putting pressure on his father with two resignation letters dominated a DMK high-level meeting and threatened to sour the upbeat mood. Sources close to the family said M.K.Alagiri met Karunanidhi on January 1 to greet him on the New Year and hand over his resignation letters “to convey his displeasure over several matters”.


The DMK grapevine has it that Alagiri laid down certain demands, threatening to resign if the party leadership failed to fulfill them. MK Alagiri has laid down certain demands, threatening to resign as Union minister for chemicals and fertilisers if the leadership failed to fulfil them.


The issues included distancing of his sister and Rajya Sabha MP Kanimozhi and spectrum scam ‘tainted’ former Union minister A Raja from party affairs and a “important role” for himself in the party administration, particularly in the run-up to the state polls. Alagiri, according to sources, also expressed unhappiness over the fallout of the controversial Radia tapes and a decision by his father to donate his Gopalapuram residence, where he and his siblings grew up, for establishing a hospital.


Close associates said Alagiri had earlier directed the organisers of a government function to be held near Madurai on Wednesday to drop his name from the invitation. Interestingly, his younger brother and deputy chief minister M K Stalin will be the chief guest.


Undeterred by the recent CBI raids on its premises for suspected links in the 2G spectrum scam, Tamil Maiyam, the socio-cultural forum promoted by Rajya Sabha MP Kanimozhi and priest-turned activist Jagath Gasper Raj, is gearing up to organise the 5th edition of the annual folk arts extravaganza, ‘Chennai Sangamam’ from January 12 to 17.


Rev Jagath Gasper Raj estimated that the Chennai Sangamam could cost about 4 crore. Interestingly, Sadhick Batcha, a confidante of former telecom minister A Raja and a suspected beneficiary in the 2G spectrum scam, told Times of India recently that his business group, Green House Promoters, had paid 5 lakh donation for the conduct of Chennai Sangamam in 2006-2007.


It is to be watched whether M.K.Alagiri will succeed in his attempt of distancing of his sister and Rajya Sabha MP Kanimozhi and spectrum scam ‘tainted’ former Union minister A Raja from party affairs.