For the second time in less than a month, former Union Minister and estranged elder son MK Azhagiri met his father and DMK president Mu Karunanidhi, sparking off rumours of re-entry into DMK politics. Azhagiri had previously met Karunanidhi on March 24.

The meeting raised quite a few eyebrows with its timing. While the party sources dismiss it as routine father-son meeting on the occasion of Chittirai Thirunaal, the significance of the timing hasn’t been lost. It happened less than 24 hours after the DMK announced its candidates list. Notably, Stalin was not present at the reunion.

A man with strong clout in Madurai and the southern districts, Azhagiri’s trips have boosted his supporters in the party who have been demanding that he be brought back. He was expelled from the party in March 2014 for opposing the DMK’s alliance with the DMDK.