'Missing' Deputy Mayor to surface tomorrow

Chennai, Apr 12 (UNI) Expelled AIADMK leader and Deputy Mayor of Chennai Corporation 'Karate' R Thiagarajan, who had been missing for the last seven months, will surface in Chennai tomorrow afternoon.

Talking to UNI from New Delhi, he said he would leave Delhi by a Jet Airways flight tomorrow morning and arrive here by noon.

On getting back to political activity, he said he would vigorously campaign for the DMK-led DPA in the May 8 Assembly polls.

Mr Thiagarajan said he did not apprehend arrest on his return as no case was pending against him.

He said things were getting cleared for his rejoining the Congress, noting TNCC President M Krishnasamy had already given his consent for taking him back into the party fold.

On reports that the DMK had opposed his rejoining the Congress, Mr Thiagarajan said he had spoken to former Chennai Mayor and DMK Deputy General Secretary M K Stalin and quoted him as saying that the DMK would never interfere in the affairs of another party and it would rather welcome his rejoining the Congress.

The expelled AIADMK leader said Union Minister Dayanidhi Maran had also spoken to Congress leaders in New Delhi and said the DMK had no objection to it.

Mr Thaigarajan, who had virutally took the reins of the Chennai Corporation following the resignation of Mr Stalin, was expelled from the AIADMK last year after he fell out with AIADMK Supremo and Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa.

He went underground since October last fearing arrest. But the Government had made it clear that no case was registered against him. However, Mr Thiagarajan continued to be in hiding, before announcing that he would resurface tomorrow.

UNI WS-GV VD DB1127