CHENNAI: The proposed delimitation bill by the BJP-led Union government has revived direct communication between the DMK and Congress leadership, ending months of political silence between MK Stalin and Rahul Gandhi.
Sources said Stalin spoke to Rahul Gandhi over the phone on Thursday, urging him to take a leading role in protests against the delimitation exercise, which is being opposed by parties in the INDIA bloc.
The renewed contact follows a strained phase in seat-sharing talks for the Assembly election between the alliance leader, the DMK, and the Congress. During the tense seat negotiation phase, Rahul Gandhi largely stayed out of direct involvement, and there were reports of alternative political explorations.
However, the latest phone call between Stalin and Rahul Gandhi is seen as a turning point, with the delimitation issue emerging as common ground for coordination.
Rahul Gandhi is also set to finally arrive in Chennai on Saturday, April 18, to campaign for the party's candidates in the State, but no meeting with Stalin is on the cards.
The Congress leader is arriving on a private flight from Delhi as part of a one-day campaign blitz for the Assembly elections.
According to his itinerary, Gandhi will take off from Delhi at 8.30 am and land at Chennai's old airport at 11.10 am. From there, he will board a helicopter at 11.30 am and head to Ponneri in Tiruvallur district, where he will address a campaign rally and support Congress candidate Duraichandrasekar.