While the warring AIADMK camps of O. Panneerselvam and Edappadi K. Palaniswami are trying hard to crawl close to the power corridors in Delhi, the opposition DMK has set the tone for a different ball game. An event to be organised by the party on June 3 to celebrate the diamond jubilee of its patriarch M. Karunanidhi’s entry into Tamil Nadu Assembly will turn to a platform for all the non-NDA parties to come together.
The function, which is likely to be attended by Congress Vice President Rahul Gandhi and Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, assumes significance in the wake of upcoming presidential election in July. The opposition parties have stepped up their effort to put up a consensus nominee to the top job. The ruling BJP is still short of 20,000 to 25,000 votes for winning the poll.
DMK working president and Karunanidhi's son M.K. Stalin has, however, ruled out the possibility of a discussion in this regard. He said the twin events of the diamond jubilee and Karunanidhi's 94th birthday celebrations will be held on June 3 in Chennai.
Sources say the coming together of CPI(M) general secretary Sitaram Yechury, National Conference leader Farooq Abdullah, RJD founder Lalu Prasad Yadav, NCP leader Sharad Pawar, TMC MP Derek O'Brien and CPI National Secretary D Raja, along with others, might turn into a precursor to the formation of an anti-BJP front like the forming of the National Front and the United Front earlier.
Meanwhile, Karunanidhi, who is recuperating from his illness and taking speech therapy after tracheotomy, is unlikely to take part in the celebrations. Stalin on Wednesday called on his father at the latter’s Gopalapuram residence to share the invitation for the grand gala event.
It was the DMK under Karunanidhi, which was instrumental in the formation of National Front in 1989 and United Front in 1996. While the National Front was launched at a function organised by the DMK in Chennai, Karunanidhi carefully cobbled up the United Front in 1996. Untied Front ruled for two years.
And now, with the DMK being a major player in the politically unstable Tamil Nadu, the twin events in Chennai might throw up more surprises in the political front.
