Azhagiri to contest LS polls

The victory of the Dravida Munnettra Kazhagam (DMK) in the January 9 Tirumangalam Assembly by-election has given tailwind to the political ambitions of MK Azhagiri, son of Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M Karunanidhi and the DMK’s controversial strongman.

After he led the party to victory in Tirumangalam, he was appointed to the newly-carved out post of the party’s organising secretary of south zone, last week. Now, there are indications he could contest for the Lok Sabha from Madurai.

A meeting of the DMK’s Madurai rural district committee, chaired by its leader Arunachalam, has requested Azhagiri to contest the general elections from Madurai.

Karunanidhi, general secretary K Anbazhagan and treasurer MK Stalin were also thanked for appointing Azhagiri as organising secretary.

It’s a time of consolidation for the DMK with Azhagiri and his brother Stalin working together. Earlier, before the by-election, Karunanidhi and his sons buried the hatchet with the Maran brothers — Kalanithi and Dayanidhi — to strengthen the party not just for the by-poll but also for the resistance they expect in the upcoming elections from Jayalalithaa’s AIADMK and DMDK, which is headed by another actor-turned-politician, Vijayakanth.