Chennai: After formalising its alliance with DMK, the Congress is keen on fostering a deeper relationship between its scion Rahul Gandhi and the Dravidian party's leader-in-waiting M. K. Stalin by getting them to meet in the national capital very soon.
Senior Congress leaders told Deccan Chronicle that both AICC and TNCC are keen on inviting Stalin to Delhi to have a “constructive meeting” with Rahul as the party leadership feels it could send a message nationally at a time when the Congress is trying to project itself as the sole opposition to Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
Though Rahul and Stalin had met in 2009 during the swearing-in ceremony of UPA-II ministers, the two leaders have not yet had any substantive interaction.
“The meeting between Rahulji and Stalin is being planned. The party feels that the two leaders should know each other's views, as both parties would contest the TN polls as allies. Besides, both of them are next only to their parent in their parties, so it makes sense for the two to develop personal rapport,” said a former MP close to Gandhi.
He said the Congress intention to invite Stalin to Delhi for the Rahul meeting has been conveyed 'informally' to the DMK leadership. “They (DMK) shared our view that such a meeting will really strengthen ties between the two parties and will also boost the morale of the cadre in the run up to the poll”, he said.
The mood seems upbeat in the DMK camp over this development. “Once such an invitation comes formally from the Congress side, we will immediately respond in the affirmative”, said a DMK senior. “Thalapathi will fly to Delhi for the Rahul meeting as soon as possible”.
He also recalled that Congress president Sonia Gandhi had visited Chennai in 2004 to meet DMK chief M. Karunanidhi after the two parties came together for an alliance. Political analysts say Stalin has shed his shyness in dealing with national leaders and a meeting with Gandhi would open up the national capital to the Dravidian scion. His sister Kanimozhi has been the DMK face in Delhi these past few years. Stalin might like to have independent communication channels, they say.
They also pointed out that Stalin's visit to Patna for the swearing-in of Nitish Kumar as Bihar chief minister was also part of his strategy to mingle with leaders from the North.
DMK and Congress had revived their ties earlier this month to fight the Assembly elections after the Dravidian party abruptly ended the nine-year-old alliance in 2013 alleging Congress' “insensitive” approach towards dealing with Sri Lankan Tamils issue-the jailing of Kanimozhi in the 2G case was said to be the actual irritant.
