Alagiri calls on bereaved TN Minister

The Madurai-based former union minister paid floral tributes to a photograph of the AIADMK leader's mother at his residence and spent some time with him.

The meeting between the two political rivals came in the backdrop of the minister showering praise on Alagiri recently.

However, Alagiri, seeking to re-join the DMK of which he was once the strongman in Madurai and other southern districts, asked media not to read too much into the meeting.

"I just came here to express my condolences since he lost his mother. It is not what you all expect," he told reporters.

DMK and AIADMK are arch-rivals in the sate and till late chief minister Jayalalithaa was alive social contact between the leaders of the two parties was unthinkable.

Recently, Raju had reportedly said the peace rally organised by Alagiri in Chennai to pay tribute to his father and late DMK patriarch M Karunanidhi showed his continued clout among the grassroot workers.

"Even as we thought that Alagiri did not have any support, thousands of party supporters participated in the peace rally without any fear, in spite of DMK's restrictions", Raju had said then.