In a major political development, Union Finance Minister Arun Jaitley called on J Jayalalithaa, the AIADMK general secretary, at the latter’s residence Veda Nilayam in Chennai’s Poes Garden on Sunday. A release issued by the AIADMK headquarters described the 40-minute-long meeting as a courtesy call by Jaitley, who was in Chennai to attend a private function. This is the first meeting between Jayalalaithaa and a top BJP functionary since the former lost her chief ministership and membership of the legislative Assembly following her sentencing by a Bengaluru Special Court in the Disproportionate Asset Case in September 2014.
Though both the BJP and the AIADMK leaders were tight-lipped about the meeting, sources in both the parties said Jayalalithaa and Jaitley discussed current political scenario in the country. The meeting assumes significance in the backdrop of the number of AIADMK members in the Rajya Sabha where the BJP is in minority.
The Tamil Nadu BJP leaders found it uncomfortable to explain the logic behind senior party leader calling on a political adversary shortly before the parties are locking horns at Srirangam for the by-election necessitated following the disqualification of Jayalalithaa . A senior Tamil Nadu BJP leader asked not to read much into the meeting as both the leaders share common friendship. “It is a courtesy call and nothing more than that,” said the leader.