Stalin In damage control mode, extends support to MDMK protest

That Duraimurugan’s poser annoyed MDMK was evident from Vaiko’s response that the former’s comment has upset his cadre across the state and it was up to the DMK president to clarify his stand on alliance now.

DMK sources in the know admitted that Stalin, instead of issuing a simple statement, announcedsupport to the MDMK agitation in Raj Bhavan, chose to write back to Vaiko and make public the letter to cool the tempers.

“I appreciate and welcome the agitation,” Stalin said in his letter to Vaiko, extending full support to the agitation to be held on December 3.

DMK leaders requesting anonymity admitted that Duraimurugan’s overtures do not bode well for the party and it could upset the applecart ahead of the Lok Sabha elections. Though it was widely believed that Duraimurugan had the sanction of Stalin to make the strongly worded statement on alliance, DMK insiders said the party president was keen on accommodating friends like Vaiko and he could have just tested the waters.

In fact, the DMK has trouble maintaining cordiality not just with Vaiko. The going has been tough even with the VCK, the leader of the Dalit party had even criticised the principal opposition party for not visiting the family of caste killing victim Rajalakshmi in Salem last week.

Thol Thirumavalavan had got on the nerves of the DMK even earlier when he declared that he would contest in Chidambaram in the ensuing Parliamentary elections. Unlike Vaiko, Thirumavalavan responded to Duraimurugan in kind by admitting that the DMK and VCK were just friends.

“Antagonising probable allies is the last thing we would want during the Lok Sabha elections. It might be a wee bit early to concretise alliance. Probably, the president had tested the potential allies, some of whom have been issuing belligerent statements,” a DMK leader said, referring to Thirumavalavan’s statement on contesting in Chidambaram and Vaiko’s appreciation of AIADMK Minister’s involvement in cyclone relief works. Even a relatively small Manithaneya Makkal Katchi (MMK) of MH Jawahirullah was at loggerheads with the big party like DMK which insists that his party should contest in Ambur (one of the 18 seats to go for polls) in DMK’s Rising Sun symbol.