Tamil Nadu Assembly Election 2021: Can Karundidhi's elder son Alagiri challenge his younger brother MK Stalin?

The political bustle has intensified for the assembly elections in Tamil Nadu early next year. The family seems to be cracking down on the political legacy of the late former Chief Minister Karunanidhi. On the one hand, Karunanidhi's son and DMK chief MK Stalin himself is engaged in a strategy to gain power. On the other hand, his brother MK Alagiri can hold a meeting with some of his special supporters on Friday to form a new party. In such a situation, the question arises that if Alagiri forms a new party, will he be able to challenge his brother Stalin?

One week after Karunanidhi's death in the year 2018, Alagiri opened the front, questioning the authority of DMK to Stalin. From Marina Beach, Karunanidhi's tomb, he had said that DMK workers are with him. Stalin may be the acting president, but he does not work and cannot win the party. Despite Alagiri's challenge, Stalin was successful in becoming the president of DMK.

Political struggle since the era of Karunanidhi

However, Karunanidhi had to deal with the conflict between his successor Stalin and son Alagiri during his lifetime. In the 90s, Karunanidhi sent Alagiri to South Tamil Nadu to see the party work to ease the two brothers' growing rift. Even after this, the war of political supremacy between the two brothers did not stop. Karunanidhi expelled Alagiri from the DMK in 2014 due to Stalin's opposition; since then, his party has not returned yet.

The internal fights of the Karunanidhi family also had an impact on the 2016 election results. In the 2016 Legislative Assembly elections, the AIADMK won 134 seats, DMK 89, and Congress 8 seats. It was the first time since 1984 when a party came to power in Tamil Nadu for the second time in a row. Otherwise, there is a change of power there every five years. The real reason behind DMK's defeat was a fight for political supremacy between the two brothers.

The political base of Alagiri

Since Karunanidhi's death, Alagiri stood as the biggest challenge against DMK chief Stalin, but he could not succeed so far. At the same time, now there is a discussion with Alagiri's notable supporters to have a meeting on Friday to create a new political future party.

If Alagiri forms a new party, then he can join Stalin's opponents. If Alagiri forms a new party, his party's name may be 'Kalaignar DMK' or 'KDMK.' His son Dayanidhi will accompany Alagiri. In such a situation, it is believed that there can be a political challenge for Stalin in ​​southern Tamil Nadu. Alagiri can bet on presenting himself as the real heir of Karunanidhi.

However, Alagiri has been missing from the political landscape of Tamil Nadu for the last six years. In such a situation, they neither have any MLA nor any MP. At the same time, Stalin has proved himself by winning 38 seats in the 2019 Lok Sabha elections, but the real test is to be held in the 2021 election. In this, Stalin's biggest challenge is to be found in South Tamil Nadu, where MK Alagiri's grip is considered very strong on one side, and BJP's base is also on the other side. In such a situation, if Alagiri supports any party or forms his party, the DMK may face tough challenges.

Tamil Nadu political pattern

Actually, except in 1984 and 2016, there has been a pattern of change in power in Tamil Nadu. Every time the people of Tamil Nadu exclude the party in power. The power has constantly been changing between the DMK and AIADAK. But this time, things have changed. The original AIADMK voters have the option to choose between the original AIADMK and the TTV Dinakaran-led AIADMK. In such a situation, DMK chief Stalin is likely to get the political benefit of sympathy due to his father Karunanidhi's death. Still, now his brother Alagiri is becoming a challenge in his path.