Tamil Nadu

Speculations over alliance after DMK invites BJP chief Amit Shah to Karunanidhi condolence meet

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CHENNAI: Ever since the DMK invited BJP president Amit Shah to the condolence meeting for former Chief Minister and DMK president M Karunanidhi on August 30, speculations of a possible alliance between the two parties and a post-poll alliance are rife in the media.  DMK sources said former Union Minister TR Baalu had personally invited the BJP president and he had agreed to take part in the meeting which was originally scheduled for a State autonomy meet of DMK.  

When contacted on Saturday night, DMK sources said: “Till now, we have not received any communication from the BJP that its president will not take part in the August 30 meeting.”

Meanwhile, DMK principal secretary Duraimurugan paid homage to the urns containing the ashes of the late Prime Minister AB Vajpayee at Vellore while former minister K Pitchandi paid his respects at Tiruvannamalai.

The confusion started when a senior leader of BJP, Subramanian Swamy tweeted on Friday: “Happy to learn that party president Amit Shah has decided not to attend the DMK meet.”While social media was abuzz with for and against comments on Amit Shah taking part in DMK meet, State BJP leaders said they have no information on whether Shah would take part in the DMK meeting.

In social media, people recalled how DMK spearheaded the online campaign - #GobackModi and #GobackModi when both leaders visited Chennai recently and questioned how the BJP cadre would digest the presence of Amit Shah at the DMK meeting. 

Dravida Thamizhar Peravai leader Suba Veerapandian said the invitation to Amit Shah was being speculated as a forerunner for an alliance between BJP and DMK.  “I suspect BJP is spreading such rumours.”Meanwhile, at Kovilpatti, Union Minister Pon Radhakrishnan said he was yet to get confirmation about Amit Shah taking part in the DMK meeting. At Thiruvannamalai, BJP State president Tamilisai Soundararajan told reporters that “We always get information regarding our national president’s visit to the State. But till now, the State unit has not received any communication about the visit of Amit Shah to Tamil Nadu.  We will inform you if we receive it.”

Asked about the chance for an alliance in the coming days, BJP national secretary H Raja said at Pudukottai, “Speaking at a meeting in Chennai last month, Amit Shah had declared that BJP will announce its alliance details in October.  As such, I can’t comment on this subject before that.”TNCC president S Thirunavukkarasar said “Many leaders from across the country are taking party in the condolence meeting for Karunanidhi. All leaders are not in alliance with each other. Congress is not bothered about whether Amit Shah is attending this meet or not. Even if he attends, it does not mean that the Congress will come out of DMK alliance.”

At Tirunelveli, MDMK general secretary Vaiko said “DMK is taking its political moves very carefully.  We need not guess anything by Amit Shah’s participation in DMK meet.”Dravidar Kazhagam president K Veeramani said “Ideology is not an issue in attending a condolence meeting for a late leader.  We need not speculate on this.”

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