With the local body election round the corner, a major political realignment process is on in Tamil Nadu. Monday saw two important events happening in Chennai which removed the agitation for Cauvery water from the centre stage. GK Vasan, president, Tamil Manila Congress, called on MK Stalin, DMK treasurer and the de facto leader of the party.
The meeting assumes significance since this is the first time in the recent past the two leaders are having a one-to-one meeting. Vasan drove down to Stalin’s palatial house at Alwarpet in a swanky brand new SUV and was closeted with him for more than an hour. While coming out of his house, the TMC president who is also the son of former Congress strongman late G K Moopanar told reporters that the meeting between him and Stalin was of political in nature.
“We discussed the prevailing political situation in the State and also the strategy for the ensuing local body elections in Tamil Nadu,” said Vasan, whose party drew blank in the 2016 assembly election when it contested as an alliance partner of the Third Front. Vasan also said he would call on DMK patriarch Karunanidhi in two days time to finalise the formation of the alliance.
B S Gnanadesikan, former TNCC president, who came out of the Congress with Vasan to revive the TMC said there was nothing unusual in the meeting between Vasan and Stalin. “There is an opinion among the TMC cadre that we should forge an alliance with the DMK for the local body election. The chances are that the TMC in all likelihood would form an alliance with the DMK,” said Gnanadesikan.
Gnanadesikan, a seasoned political leader, said the Third Front (a rainbow alliance featuring the lefts, Vijayakanth’s DMDK, Vaiko’s MDMK and Thol Thirumavalavan’s VCK) was a closed chapter. “We will go either with the DMK or all alone,” he said. He also made it clear that the TMC does not have any issue in aligning with the Congress. “You should remember that TMC and Congress parted company not on ideological grounds,” pointed out Gnanadesikan.
Meanwhile S Thirunavakk-arassar, former BJP leader who was recently appointed as the TNCC chief called on Karunanidhi to pay his obeisance to the nonagenarian leader.
“It is an interesting development. Vasan is making use of the good rapport Karunanidhi enjoys with AICC chief Sonia Gandhi to get back into the Congress. He has understood that he could not sail all alone in Tamil Nadu politics and Congress is the best bet for survival,” said A R Meyyammai, Madurai based political commentator who is a keen observer of Congress politics.
Meyyammai said the merger of Congress and TMC may take place before the next lok Sabha election due in 2019. “The announcement for the local body election would come anytime now. Chief Minister Jayalalithaa is busy finalising her strategy for the local body election and that is the reason why she has announced a series of welfare measures,” said Meyyammai.