Alagiri meets his father Karunanidhi

CHENNAI: A day after being rapped by his father and DMK president M Karunanidhi for his remarks against alliance prospects with DMDK, party leader M K Alagiri today met his father here.

The meeting lasted for about half an hour, but the contents of what was discussed are not known.

Alagiri met Karunanidhi at the latter's Gopalapuram residence here, police sources said.

Meanwhile, Alagiri did not talk to waiting mediapersons. The meeting comes amidst strains in DMK's first family, and a day after Karunanidhi issued a veiled warning to Alagiri that he might face action if he flouted party discipline. Karunanidhi had distanced himself from Alagiri's reported remarks against DMK-DMDK alliance, saying he himself had welcomed such an arrangement. Alagiri's remarks against the alliance was "not only regrettable but condemnable."

Karunanidhi had also said yesterday that the DMK's Executive, General Council or the authorised high command alone could decide on alliances. Alagiri, who earlier enjoyed tremendous clout in Madurai and the other southern districts, was maintaining a low profile since the 2011 electoral drubbing of DMK at the hands of arch rival AIADMK.

In what is seen as a blow to the 63 year-old leader, the party high command had removed the Madurai Urban DMK and related units last week amidst his simmering rivalry with younger brother Stalin, and replacing it with an ad-hoc committee dominated by supporters of Alagiri's sibling.

The brothers' sparring over who Karunanidhi's political heir apparent would be is well-known, with Alagiri declaring that he will not accept anyone other than his father as his leader.