india

Updated: Nov 15, 2019 00:11 IST

Chennai: Late Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) leader M Karunanidhi’s son, M K Alagiri, on Thursday echoed Rajinikanth’s statement last week about the “political vacuum” in Tamil Nadu and hoped the superstar will fill in.

“I agree with Rajinikanth’s statement that political void continues in the state after death the DMK patriarch M Karunanidhi and [ruling] AIADMK [All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam] chief J Jayalalithaa,” Alagiri, who is DMK president MK Stalin’s elder brother, told reporters in Chennai. “I hope Rajinikanth would fill that vacuum.”

Karunanidhi expelled Alagiri from the DMK in May 2014 for fuelling dissent against Stalin amid a feud between the brothers.

Both the DMK and the AIADMK last week dismissed Rajinikanth’s statement over the political vacuum.

“There is no vacuum in Tamil Nadu politics now. After winning the Vikravandi and Nanguneri assembly bypolls last month, we have proved that there is no such vacuum,” AIADMK coordinator and chief minister Edappadi K Palaniswami had said.

DMK treasurer S Duraimurugan insisted Stalin filled the political vacuum. “Stalin has emerged as a strong leader after the death of his father Karunanidhi. Under the leadership of Stalin, the DMK got a splendid mandate from the people in the Lok Sabha polls [this summer]. The DMK-led alliance won 38 out of 39 seats in Tamil Nadu,” Duraimurugan said.

Political experts said that Alagiri may back Rajinikanth when the actor launches his party.

“The actor made his political entry announcement in December 2016. Subsequently, Rajinikanth converted his Rajini Fans Club into Rajini Makkal Mandram (RMM) in 2017. RMM is most likely to be turned into a political party. Rajini had declared he would enter politics ahead of 2021 state assembly polls. Alagiri, who could not get entry into the DMK, may aim to join Rajini. Alagiri’s statement confirms that DMK is no longer an option for the former Union minister,” said S Ramesh, a political observer.

Alagiri met Bharatiya Janata Party’s national secretary, H Raja, on Wednesday.