DMK leader Stalin, a backbencher in school

Clad in a white veshti and shirt and accompanied by his wife Durga early Saturday, Stalin soon switched to navy blue trouser and grey T shirt just like a few dozen peers or rather one-time classmates, thanks to the alma mater that had arranged for a reunion of the alumni.

A nostalgic Stalin even revisited the “Classroom VI-A”, the same room he had entered four decades ago when he had started his middle school years there. Joined by a few of his classmates, the DMK chief who steered the party to an impressive victory in the rural local body polls only a day ago, briefly occupied the second last bench in the classroom and cracked a couple of jokes before going on a walk on campus with his classmates and recalling the days when they had bunked schoolto watch cinema.

“I went to the same VI A classroom I had once occupied. It has been converted into kindergarten section now. We discussed how we had bunked classes to roam around and watched movies,” Stalin said.

However, the DMK chief did not avoid politics when he later told media persons, “I have come here as a Mayor, MLA, deputy chief minister and leader of Opposition. I will let you people know in what capacity I will visit in future,” probably suggesting a visit after the 2021 Assembly election.