Stalin may push to include Congress in federal front with KCR

Whether the non-BJP and non-Congress “third front” strongly pushed by KCR, who would be visiting Stalin here on Sunday, or a strong anti-BJP formation suggested by Mamata, who is ready to conditionally work with the Congress works out or not, the feelers sent by the regional players with national prominence, mainly the West Bengal CM has already secured a key position for the DMK working president in the national political map. 

Even the think tank which has been advising Stalin on political and policy issues of late, courtesy the initiatives of his son-in-law Sabarishan was understood to have planted the idea of tweeting a cryptic message to Mamata this week. “Critics who project Stalin’s hobnobbing with Mamata and KCR as a ploy to keep Congress on tenterhooks or fracture in the DMK-Congress alliance have got it either awfully wrong or as a soft corner for the BJP. We (DMK) might make some statements that could keep observers guessing, but the truth is Stalin is doing for Rahul’s Congress what Karunanidhi did for Sonia’s Congress -stitching up a grand alliance including the Congress,” a source privy to the developments told DT Next. 

“The exchange (of ideas) with the proponents of third front idea is also a message to the fence-sitting CPM. We are in no hurry to unveil our plans now, but, sometime later this year when the Lok Sabha poll mood sets in, we will end the hide and seek by making a strong push for an alliance with Congress at its core,” said a DMK senior requesting anonymity. 

In fact, a handful of DMK leaders had personally advised Stalin not to consider third front a few days ago. They had suggested making use of the opportunity to increase the stakes of the party at the negotiation table and the national attention Stalin gets personally from engaging the proponents of the so called third front. “How can we counter the BJP without Congress? Congress may not be essential in TN or WB or Andhra, but what about Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh, Gujarat and Karnataka where there are no strong regional players and only the Congress can take on the BJP? It is imperative to engage the Congress if the regional players are serious about fighting the BJP in 2019. In arguing for Congress and consolidating the anti-BJP formation of regional parties, Stalin will grow in stature and emerge as a tall leader at the national level,” reasoned a highly placed DMK leader requesting anonymity.