Chidambaram meets CM Vijay amid RS bypoll, INDIA bloc rejig talks

CHENNAI: Amid discussions surrounding the upcoming Rajya Sabha bypoll from Tamil Nadu and the speculated entry of Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam into the INDIA bloc, senior Congress leader P Chidambaram met Chief Minister and TVK president C Joseph Vijay at the Secretariat on Tuesday.

With 107 MLAs and the support of alliance partners, the TVK is comfortably placed to secure the seat. However, Congress high command is reportedly keen on getting the seat, and sent Chidambaram as its emissary to convey its views.

Later in the day, AICC’s Tamil Nadu in-charge Girish Chodankar told reporters that the party would seek the seat. 

The Congress camp is abuzz with speculations that the party is pitching All India Professionals Congress leader Praveen Chakravarty for the seat. Chakravarty was one of the first leaders of the party to openly moot an alliance with the TVK, and refused to back down even after his comments triggered then coalition leader DMK’s fury.

Incidentally, the party had wrangled a seat in the Upper House from the DMK during seat-sharing talks. After the election, however, Congress, which has five MLAs in the Assembly, extended support to the TVK to form the government after it fell short of simple majority.

Meanwhile, reports from Delhi said the Congress is expecting the DMK to go out of the opposition front, INDIA bloc, and is planning to bring in TVK in place of the Dravidian major.

Sources said Vijay will consult senior leaders and allies before finalising the candidate for the Rajya Sabha seat.