MK Alagiri rally LATEST updates: Alagiri and his elder daughter paid floral tributes at the Karunanidhi memorial. K Isakkimuthu, former zone chairman of Madurai Corporation and a friend of Alagiri’s said that he had hope more supporters would show up at the march to show their strength. He expressed concern about how few people had come. The Alagiri faction had been telling local media that 1 lakh people will come. But party insiders were expecting at least 50,000 against the 20,000 who are reported to have joined the march Thousands of Alagiri supporters have reached the Marina beach at Karunanidhi’s memorial. The supporters will pay homage to the former DMK chief. IAS officer Sagayam, who is overseeing arrangements at Alagiri’s roadshow, says that close to 20,000 people have entered through the city checkposts. At least, 12,000 people are at the rally and another 3,000 expected at Karunanidhi’s samadhi. Expelled-DMK leader Alagiri kickstarted the roadshow in Chennai an hour late. The silent rally marking the 30th day of the death of Karunanidhi has reached Madras University and is proceeding towards the former chief minister’s memorial at Marina Beach. Chennai Traffic Police has diverted traffic from Anna Salai from 9 am towards adjoining roads. A police official says that Alagiri and his team of supporters had taken permission to start the rally at 10 am but are an hour late. This is continuing to cause traffic snarls. Alagiri is yet to reach the venue. The Chennai Police is prepared with ropes and barricades near Chepauk Stadium to ensure that the marchers stop here. The authorities have not granted Alagiri the permission to hold a march till Marina Beach. An interesting development in DMK succession politics is that while Alagiri has diluted his stand to accept Stalin’s leadership, the latter has maintained a tough stance. The DMK on Tuesday acted strongly against a party functionary for welcoming expelled DMK leader MK Alagiri at the Chennai airport, suspending him for “bringing disrepute to the party”. Expelled DMK leader MK Alagiri’s supporters said that the party must pay heed to their demands. One of Alagiri’s aides said that they do not seek any particular position in the party but merely a presence. A substantial crowd has come out in support of Alagiri. Alagiri’s son Dhaya Azhagiri has confirmed that after a public address the congregation will march till the Karunanidhi memorial at Marina beach, where they will pay their respects to the late DMK leader. Expelled DMK leader MK Alagiri will hold a rally on Wednesday to pay homage to his father, M Karunanidhi who died on 7 August. However, the rally, scheduled to begin at 10 am is touted as a show of strength by his supporters as the late DMK chief’s elder son hinted that he will not go down without a fight. [caption id=“attachment_2963308” align=“alignleft” width=“380”]
File photos of MK Stalin and MK Alagiri[/caption] “I am Thalaivar’s (late DMK Chief M Karunanidhi) son, so I will do what I said,” he told reporters in Chennai when asked about the silent rally proposed by him. However, he refused to respond to a query on the party’s silence to his request to readmit him. Alagiri, who has been claiming since Karunanidhi’s death that loyal party workers were with him, had earlier said the DMK would face threat after his rally. Alagiri had expressed his willingness to accept DMK President MK Stalin’s leadership with a rider to readmit him into the party. But the party has formally made no comments on the matter. The former union minister has been in political hibernation since his expulsion from the party in 2014 by Karunanidhi. He was sacked at the height of his fight with Stalin over establishing supremacy in the party.
MK Alagiri rally: Ex-DMK leader holds march, pays tribute to Karunanidhi in apparent show of strength; Stalin silent on his re-induction
MK Alagiri rally LIVE updates: Alagiri and his elder daughter paid floral tributes at the Karunanidhi memorial
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Alagiri pays floral tributes to M Karunanidhi
Alagiri aides expected higher turnout at rally
K Isakkimuthu, former zone chairman of Madurai Corporation and a friend of Alagiri’s said that he had hoped more supporters would show up at the march to show their strength. He expressed concern about how few people had come. The Alagiri faction had been telling local media that 1 lakh people will come. But party insiders were expecting at least 50,000 against the 20,000 who are reported to have joined the march.
Input by K Dhanabalan/101Reporters
Alagiri’s silent roadshow attracted close to 12000 people
Rally reaches Karunanidhi memorial
Thousands of Alagiri supporters have reached the Marina beach at Karunanidhi’s memorial. The supporters will pay homage to the former DMK chief.
Alagiri’s elder daughter present at roadshow
In the convoy, along with, Alagiri is his elder daughter Kayalvizhi and close supporters of the family.
Alagiri supporters expected more show of strength at roadshow
K Isakkimuthu, former zone chairman of Madurai Corporation and a friend of Alagiri’s, said that he had hoped more supporters would show up at the roadshow to show their support. He expressed concern about how few people had come.
The Alagiri faction had been telling local media that at least a lakh people will come for the silent march, but party insiders had said that they were expecting at least 50,000 against the 20,000 who are reported to have joined the march.
K Dhanabalan/101Reporters
Image by: Greeshma Rai/Firstpost
12,000 supporters in the rally and 3,000 expected at Karunanidhi memorial
IAS officer Sagayam, who is overseeing arrangements at the roadshow, says that close to 20,000 people have entered through the city checkposts. At least, 12,000 people are at the rally and another 3,000 expected at Karunanidhi’s samadhi.
VIDEO: Alagiri kickstarts silent march in a show of strength in Chennai today
‘Let’s join hands – let’s protect the party’
As the silent march — now estimated to be about 10,000-strong — reaches Madras University, supporters are seen carrying banners that read: “Let’s join hands. Let’s protect the party.”
Input By: Sundar N/101Reporters
Image By: Greeshma Rai/Firstpost
Alagiri arrives for roadshow
Expelled-DMK leader Alagiri kickstarted the roadshow in Chennai an hour late. The silent rally marking the 30th day of the death of Karunanidhi has reached Madras University and is proceeding towards the former chief minister’s memorial at Marina Beach.
Traffic routes diverted near Triplicane as Alagiri heads to Anna Salai
Traffic has been diverted from Anna Salai from 9 am towards adjoining roads. A police official says that Alagiri and his team had taken permission to start the rally at 10 am but are an hour late. This is continuing to cause traffic snarls but Alagiri is yet to reach the venue.
Thousands in DMK support Alagiri, how many can they sack: Alagiri aide on DMK suspending party official who backed ex-DMK leader
If Alagiri reinstated in party**, workers from south TN will work 10 times harder, says Former DMK secretary and Alagiri supporter**
A former professor, Jalaludan says he has worked for the party since his Days as a student because of his love for Kalaignar and his Dravidian ideals. Alagiri wanted to hold a silent march to honour Kalaignar on this 30-day remembrance and lakhs of us from across the state have assembled behind him. Alagiri is someone who can add strength to the party and help it form the government. If he is in the party, workers in the south will work ten times harder to ensure the party’s victory. Our only demand today is that Alagiri is reinstated as a core party leader. I can’t say why this hasn’t been done yet, you’ll have to ask the party leaders.
Alagiri enroute Anna Salai, rally to begin shortly
According to sources, Alagiri has reportedly left from his home and he is expected to reach the venue in 10 minutes. Roughly around 7,000 people have gathered near the Triplicane police station to participate in Alagiri’s rally.
Input by Mydeen Abdul Kadar/101Reporters
Chennai Police plans to stop Alagir supporters at Chepauk, march unlikely to continue till Marina beach
Input by Prasad T/101Reporters
Alagiri supporters wait for their leader’s arrival; rally to begin shortly
Some members at Alagiri rally claim to be Stalin supporters
A group of women amid the crowd gathered for Alagir rally said that they were Stalin supporters and were present to pay homage to Karunanidhi. Gomathi and her friends have come from Madhavaram to take part in the rally to pay their respects to Kalaignar M Karunanidhi.
Alagiri supporters gather for his silent rally in Chennai
Alagiri supporters gather in Chennai
DMK cadre didn’t vandalise Alagiri posters, says ex-DMK leader’s supporter
Speaking to reporters, former Deputy Mayor of Madurai and Alagiri’s staunch supporter PM Mannan said that this march would be a peaceful and dignified one. He also said that DMK workers were not responsible for the vandalism of Alagiri’s posters in Chennai. This is the work of the Opposition to . Mannan also confessed that there hasn’t been any communication from Stalin yet regarding these recent developments.
Input by Mydeen Abdul Kadar/101Reporters
Voices in DMK ally Congress back Alagiri’s homecoming, say Karunanidhi would have forgiven him
According to a report in Hindustan Times , voices from within the Congress have said that now that Alagiri’s has expressed readiness to work under Stalin, he must be taken back into the party.
A party leader who wished to remainanonymous said, “Azhagiri (Alagiri) will teach a fitting lesson to his younger brother. All these days Azhagiri was against Stalin, but now he has openly accepted Thalapathi (Stalin) as the DMK leader. If Karunanidhi was alive, he would have forgiven Azhagiri. With by-polls approaching, the party should accept Azhagiri into the party.”
Alagiri’s many flip-flops on Stalin’s leadership, his role in the party
The animosity between the two brothers dates back to the early 2000s when the DMK patriarch M Karunanidhi showed a distinct preference for his younger son MK Stalin, who was made the party’s treasurer.
Those were the days when Alagiri and Stalin supporters openly clashed on the streets of Tamil Nadu, often indulging in violence as the former resented Karunanidhi’s preference for the latter. Ultimately, Karunanidhi stepped in and showed the door to Alagiri in 2014, while clearly favouring Stalin.
Four years later, Alagiri is seen droppong confusing signals, clearly to secure a place in the party. He even said that he is ready to work in Stalin’s presidentship if he’s admitted back in the party. However, he also told India TV that Stalin is an ‘inefficient president’ and said he doesn’t think he is the president.
Alagiri supporters seek space for their laeder in DMK, say march to be non-violent
One of Alagiri’s supporters said that the rally will start at Anna Salai and will end at Samadhi. He said that they are not demanding anything wrong or asking for a party post, or to be made a part of the executive committee. “All we are asking for is a place in the party,” he said.
Alagiri supporters gather at Wallajah Road
Alagiri supporters start gathering at Anna Salai in Triplicane
Alagiri’s supporters have started arriving at Triplicane where the rally is due to begin at 10 am. Ostensibly, the march today is intended to mark one month since the passing of the DMK patriarch, however, it is more likely intended as a show of strength to demonstrate the kind of opposition Alagiri can drum up against the current president and his brother MK Stalin. Alagiri and his supporters have been demanding that he be reinstated into the DMK and given a party post.
Input by K Dhanabalan/101Reporters
Stalin supporters tear posters of Alagiri event
Ahead of the Alagiri’s silent march, posters advertising the event had been vandalised allegedly by Stalin’s supporters. Alagiri has condemned this saying the posters also feature M Karunanidhi and this action by DMK cadre is disrespectful.
Input by Mydeen Abdul Kadar/101Reporters
Alagiri’s son says post rally, Alagiri, supporters to march till Marina Beach
Alagiri’s son Dhaya Azhagiri has confirmed that after a public address the congregation will march till the Karunanidhi memorial at Marina beach, where they will pay their respects to the late DMK leader.
Image by Mydeen Abdul Kadar/101Reporters
Chennai Police denied permission for march till Karunanidhi memorial yesterday
Even as today’s rally is supposed to culminate at the Karunanidhi memorial at Marina beach, the Chennai Police may play spoil sport. The authorities had, on Tuesday denied permission to Alagiri and his supporters to march till the memorial. Instead, they were only given permission to march from Triplicane police station up to Chepauk stadium. Those participating in the march could then proceed individually to pay their respects to the memorial.
Input by Mydeen Abdul Kadar/101Reporters
Heavy security deployment in Chennai ahead of Alagiri’s rally
Over 2,000 police and 100 RAF personnel have been deployed along the rally route between Anna Salai and M Karunanidhi’s memorial at Marina beach. A heavy concentration of police force was also seen at the Anna and Karunanidhi memorials.
Input by Sundar N/101Reporters
DMK suspended leader for welcoming Alagiri at Chennai airport
The DMK on Tuesday acted strongly against a party functionary for welcoming expelled DMK leader MK Alagiri at the Chennai airport, suspending him for “bringing disrepute to the party”, media reports said.
M Ravi, the area secretary of Velacherry in Chennai, was suspended promptly for showing open support to Alagiri by DMK general secretary K Anbazhagan.
Karunanidhi suspended Alagiri from DMK in 2014
In 2014, then DMK president M Karunanidhi made a choice of his heir apparent by suspending his elder son Alagiri from the party’s primary membership at the height of his tussle with brother Stalin. Although the official reason was a failure to keep the party’s discipline and badmouthing the leader of a potential ally, it was clear that Alagiri and Stalin’s feud had reached a tipping point.
Those were the days when Alagiri and Stalin supporters openly used to spar on the streets of Tamil Nadu, often indulging in violence.
At the heart of the tussle is Alagiri’s refusal to accept Stalin as Karunanidhi’s heir, even though much of the party apparatus and Karunanidhi himself are with the younger brother.
MK Alagiri to hold silent rally in Chennai today
In what is apparently an escalation in the succession war following the death of former DMK chief M Karunanidhi, his eldest son M Alagiri is all set to address a rally in Chennai today at 10 am, only weeks after Stalin took over as party chief.
Although it is touted to be a public meeting to pay homage to Karunanidhi and celebrate his memory, various reports suggest it is an attempted show of strength to build pressure on Stalin.