M K Alagiri meets Prime Minister Manmohan Singh

NEW DELHI: Denied a ticket, suspended DMK MP and former Union Minister M K Alagiri today caused an embarrassment to his party when he called on Prime Minister Manmohan Singh who regretted that the party left the UPA.

Sources close to Alagiri described the meeting as a "courtesy" call and said he thanked the Prime Minister for giving him an opportunity to serve in the Union Council for four years between 2009 and 2013.

Alagiri, who is the elder son of party patriarch M Karunanidhi, told reporters that the Prime Minister expressed regret over DMK walking out of UPA a year before.

The meeting comes amidst reports that Alagiri, dejected over his expulsion from the DMK, was considering floating a new political party.

He is also believed to be dismayed over his supporters not finding a place in the Lok Sabha candidate list of DMK, which was declared this week. DMK has not only denied ticket to Alagiri, but also two of his loyalists for the April 24 Lok Sabha election.

The former union minister is believed to have discussed the prevailing political situation in Tamil Nadu, where Congress has not found an alliance partner for the Lok Sabha polls.

During the meeting, Alagiri requested Singh to name the Madurai airport after freedom fighter Pasumpon Muthuramalinga Thevar.

Sources said Alagiri informed PMO officials that he and two of the DMK MPs - D Napolean and J K Riteish will vacate the official bungalows allotted to them.

Rajya Sabha MP K P Ramalingam, who is a staunch supporter of Alagiri, was also present at the meeting.