Karunanidhi's hopes dashed, polls crashed; Is it the Alagiri curse?

The Tamil Nadu assembly elections this year dashed many hopes, not to forget the shock that 92-year old DMK supremo Karunanidhi may have received after AIADMK raced past the initial poll readings.

His hopes of topping the incumbent CM and holding the chair himself has to be stashed away for now. If things went well with him (health-wise et al), he may still win next time.

The exit-polls were misguiding, giving flight to DMK's imagination and the crash was hard too. But on second thoughts, the party seems to be going through a jinx, almost a curse when a victory so close was lost badly.

Alagiri's words echo

The estranged elder son of Karunanidhi- M K Alagiri had a hard time winning his father's heart and ultimately failed to the extent of isolation. Nowhere to be seen in Tamil Nadu politics these days, his first meeting after he was expelled from the party in 2014 was on March 24, 2016.

Although there were no particular political agendas behind the meeting, but the Karunanidhi den may not have forgotten what Alagiri said 2 years ago when he was expelled by his father on grounds of anti-party activities.

Threatening his younger brother with death, Alagiri had said that Stalin will "die in 3 months". Not to be taken literally, but probably a "political death" can be seen.

[Read: Tamil Nadu Assembly Election Results Updates]

The DMK chief had said, "I do not know why Alagiri has nurtured such hatred against Stalin for many years."

Alagiri, a former Union Minister and MP, was suspended from the party on 24 January, 2014 from primary membership and all posts he held in the party.

Recently, when he was asked about his opinion on the Tamil Nadu polls, he refused to comment, saying that the party did not know how to use him.

[Read: Alagiri stays out of election, alleges DMK doesn't know how to use him]

"I have no opinion", he had said, "I will not vote for any party this time."

A disgruntled son and his ways

An insult is never forgotten and never forgiven. Many of Alagiri's loyalists had said that behind that calmness, lay a storm. Alagiri, it was rumored, was planning on defeating two candidates this election-P D R B Thiyakarasan of Madurai Central constituency and K Thalapathi of Madurai West- both close aides of his younger brother Stalin.

It is yet to be seen whether that worked against the party. Indeed, Alagiri must be smiling in self-containment with the results.