Ready to accept Stalin's leadership, says M K Alagiri

Sending out a signal that he was prepared to bury the hatchet, M K Alagiri on Thursday said he was ready to accept the leadership of his younger brother and Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam chief M K Stalin if he was readmitted into the party fold.

The estranged elder brother of Stalin said neither he nor his son Durai Dayanidhi yearned for any position in the party.

"When we desire to be inducted into the party, we must then accept the (Stalin's) leadership, isn't it," Alagiri told reporters when asked if he was ready to accept the leadership of his younger brother if he was readmitted into the party.

The former Union minister said he was ready to work alongside the top party leadership, apparently referring to Stalin, and added that he and his supporters have been reiterating it.

"We are ready to join the party and work together, they are not taking us back," he said.

Under such circumstances, he said the next course of action -- if he and his supporters are not admitted -- would be decided after the rally to be held next month.

A decision on the future course of action would be decided after consultations with leaders, he said.

When pointed out that the DMK general council had elevated Stalin unanimously, he shot back: "Is the general council alone the party? ...do 1,500 members of the council alone represent the DMK?.. the cadres are on my side, after next month's rally more will come to my side."

Stalin was on August 28 elevated as the DMK president, being elected unopposed to the top post.

At the party's General Council meeting held in Chennai, DMK General Secretary K Anbazhagan said Stalin was elected unopposed, as he was the sole candidate who had filed nomination for the party chief's post on August 26.

The elder son of late DMK patriarch M Karunanidhi, also said he did not know what was preventing his return to the party.

"Truth will always get support," he said and reiterated that the true loyalists of Karunanidhi were on his side.

On the proposed rally on September 5 in Chennai to Karunanidhi's mausoleum, he said there will not be less than "one lakh" participants.

Alagiri had days ago announced that he would lead a rally to the mausoleum of Karunanidhi here, touted as a show of strength by his supporters.

Alagiri has been in political hibernation since his expulsion from the party in 2014 by Karunanidhi.

The former Union minister was sacked at the height of his fight with Stalin over establishing supremacy in the party.