A sleepy Sunday morning in Chennai got enlivened when Vijayakanth, leader of the DMDK, called on the nonagenarian M Karunanidhi at the latter’s Gopalapuram residence here. The meeting between the chief ministerial candidates of the DMK and the DMDK lasted for nearly 30 minutes. Karunanidhi’s son and heir apparent MK Stalin and Vijayakanth’s deputy Sudheesh too were present during the meeting.
later, speaking to the media, Vijayakanth claimed his meeting with Karunanidhi was to chalk out strategies to counter the Karnataka Government’s move to build a reservoir at Mekedatu in the Cauvery river. “We also discussed many burning issues faced by the people of Tamil Nadu. Since the AIADMK Government is indifferent to the problems faced by the people of Tamil Nadu, I feel it is time to take up these issues with the Union Government,” said Vijayakanth, whose DMDK contested the 2014 lok Sabha elections in alliance with the BJP-led NDA.
This is the first one-on-one meeting between Karunanidhi and Vijayakanth. The DMK leader had expressed his solidarity with the six MlAs of the DMDK who have been suspended by the Speaker of the Tamil Nadu legislative Assembly for the remaining term of the House. Karunanidhi is said to be trying to bring Vijayakanth to his side to face the next election to the Assembly which may take place in 2015 itself, according to sources in the AIADMK.
Vijayakanth is meeting Prime Minister Narendra Modi at New Delhi on Monday and his calling on leaders of other parties is said to be a prelude to the scheduled meeting with Prime Minister Modi. Stalin said after the meeting that two representatives of the DMK would join Vijayakanth while the DMDK calls on the Prime Minister.
The DMDK chief also called on TNCC president EVKS Elangovan, TMC leader GK Vasan, BJP Tamil Nadu chief Tamilissai Sounderrajan and MDMK leader Vaiko. “Vijayakanth is trying to lead an all-party delegation to New Delhi to meet the Prime Minister on the Mekedatu Dam issue. He has been forced to do so because chief minister O Panneerselvam is not doing what he is supposed to do,” said Elangovan who promised all support to Vijayakanth.
The DMDK leader could not met the father-son duo of Ramadoss and Anbumani of the PMK. “Both our leaders are out of the city. I am not sure whether any meeting has been scheduled between them and the DMDK leader,” said a source close to Ramadoss. Political commentators in Chennai are of the view that Vijayakanth, who has been lying low for sometime now, wants to project himself as relevant in Tamil Nadu politics. “What is Vijayakanth going to discuss with the Prime Minister which chief minister O Panneerselvam has not discussed,” they ask.