Chennai: New TNCC chief Su Thirunavukarasar on Sunday met DMDK chief Vijayakant and discussed “general issues like local body elections” fuelling speculation that the national party is slowly drifting away from its long-time ally DMK.
The “courtesy meeting” at the DMDK headquarters in Koyambedu here comes days after Mr. Thirunavukarasar, who seems to enjoy good rapport with Congress Vice-President Rahul Gandhi, openly contradicted himself with statements made by DMK chief M Karunanidhi and his son M.K. Stalin on health condition of Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa.
Today’s meeting and actions of Mr Thirunavukarasar, who was a Minister in the M G Ramachandran Cabinet, is being keenly watched by the DMK for whom the DMDK has become an anathema after Vijayakanth formed an alliance with PWA, which was dubbed as the B team of the ruling AIADMK.
“It was a courtesy call. I have known Vijayakanth for several years and hence I came to meet my friend. We discussed about general political scenario and local body elections,” Mr Thirunavukarasar told reporters after the meeting.
“The Congress is already in an alliance with the DMK,” replied the TNCC chief, when asked whether he discussed possibility of an alliance with the DMDK chief. The TNCC chief's meeting with Vijayakanth comes at a time when the actor is fuming against the DMK and has accused its leaders of trying to annihilate his party. Several second-rung leaders and district secretaries of the DMDK have joined the DMK in the past couple of months.
The new TNCC chief's actions of criticising the DMK within and outside the party forums have supporters and opponents alike in the party. While addressing the district leaders recently, Mr Thirunavukarasar is understood to have used “strong words” to criticise the DMK and has been saying openly that he is not under any compulsion to toe the ally's line on all issues.
