On the one hand, chief minister J Jayalalitha has unilaterally announced candidates for all the 39 seats leaving none for its allies, the Left parties, her arch rival and former chief minister M Karunanidhi on Friday described BJP’s prime ministerial candidate Modi as a ‘hard worker’ and ‘good friend.’
Dravida Munnettra Kazhagam (DMK) president Karunanidhi’s response came in an interview to one of the leading Tamil dailies ‘Dinamalar’, in which the 90 year-old DMK patriarch also refrained from commenting on a possible tie-up with the saffron party after elections. ‘The hectic election campaign by Modi shows he is a hard worker. He is also a good friend of mine,’ he said when asked about his ‘personal opinion’ on the Gujarat chief minister. DMK was part of the Atal Bihari Vajpayee-led government at the Centre between 1998 and 2004 but shifted allegiance to the Congress-led UPA in 2004 and remained part of it for nine years before snapping ties in 2013.
Asked if his announcement in the recent DMK state conference that his party would not align with ‘communal forces’ meant the BJP, Karunanidhi shot back asking, ‘Are you giving a statement that the BJP is communal?’ Asked if there was a chance for the DMK joining the BJP-led alliance after elections, he said he ‘cannot speculate and tell what will be the situation after the Lok Sabha polls.’
The DMK chief’s response assumes significance as it comes two months after he ruled out any alliance with the BJP besides former ally Congress in his party’s general council. However, DMK organising secretary TKS Elangovan sought to play down Karunanidhi’s remarks saying it was his personal opinion.
Observers point to the fact that the DMK was keen on roping in actor-politician Vijaykant’s DMDK in the alliance led by it for the Lok Sabha polls. But DMDK, which is also being wooed by the BJP, is yet to announce its decision. ‘Strife within his own party between two sons over succession and poor electoral performance in the recent past may force the intelligent (read wily) politician to go for a rethink,’ said a party leader.
Dravida Munnettra Kazhagam (DMK) president Karunanidhi’s response came in an interview to one of the leading Tamil dailies ‘Dinamalar’, in which the 90 year-old DMK patriarch also refrained from commenting on a possible tie-up with the saffron party after elections. ‘The hectic election campaign by Modi shows he is a hard worker. He is also a good friend of mine,’ he said when asked about his ‘personal opinion’ on the Gujarat chief minister. DMK was part of the Atal Bihari Vajpayee-led government at the Centre between 1998 and 2004 but shifted allegiance to the Congress-led UPA in 2004 and remained part of it for nine years before snapping ties in 2013.
Asked if his announcement in the recent DMK state conference that his party would not align with ‘communal forces’ meant the BJP, Karunanidhi shot back asking, ‘Are you giving a statement that the BJP is communal?’ Asked if there was a chance for the DMK joining the BJP-led alliance after elections, he said he ‘cannot speculate and tell what will be the situation after the Lok Sabha polls.’
The DMK chief’s response assumes significance as it comes two months after he ruled out any alliance with the BJP besides former ally Congress in his party’s general council. However, DMK organising secretary TKS Elangovan sought to play down Karunanidhi’s remarks saying it was his personal opinion.
Observers point to the fact that the DMK was keen on roping in actor-politician Vijaykant’s DMDK in the alliance led by it for the Lok Sabha polls. But DMDK, which is also being wooed by the BJP, is yet to announce its decision. ‘Strife within his own party between two sons over succession and poor electoral performance in the recent past may force the intelligent (read wily) politician to go for a rethink,’ said a party leader.