Madurai: With the elections fast approaching, several leaders of the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) have started to feel the absence of MK Azhagiri in the southern districts of the state, including Madurai, Tirunelveli, Virudhunagar, and Theni, where he yielded considerable influence.

The expulsion of the 65-year-old outspoken Azhagiri is very likely to take a toll on the party’s prospects, especially in the forthcoming elections, where the DMK faces multiple opponents, including the AIADMK, the DMDK-PWF, and an all-charged-up BJP. And, much to the irritation of Azhagiri, many of his loyalists were ignored and poll tickets were given to those who were close to Stalin, for many of the southern districts.

Azhagiri’s attempts last month to make peace with his father have failed, with the party suspending all those who met him.

A very angered Azhagiri had recently said that he was not going to support any party this time. Although he made it clear that it was his personal decision and did not apply to his supporters, many of his loyalists have openly said that they were not going to vote for the DMK. The kind of impact this will have on the DMK vote bank in the southern districts is yet to be measured.

Portrayed by his loyalists as someone who took care of his supporters, Azhagiri’s continuing influence on the party was shown when Stalin’s rally in Madurai failed to attract huge crowds. The other parties, especially the Vijayakanth-led DMDK-PWF-TMC alliance, are keen on making the most of this sibling rivalry. They are confident that Azhagiri’s supporters are not likely to vote for the AIADMK either.