Stalin to attend all-party meet

Stalin’s attendance will be his first at a major congregation of national leaders since taking over the reins of the party after his father Karunanidhi’s death in August. Stalin has been deputing party Rajya Sabha MP Kanimozhi for such occasions of late.

The decision might have been influenced by Andhra Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu who had cited the participation of leaders of other parties. The DMK president is also expected to meet Congress leader Sonia Gandhi, who has consented to unveil the statue of Karunanidhi in the city on December 16.

Participation in the meeting, DMK believes, would put Stalin on par with leaders like Naidu and West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee, besides projecting him as a leader involved in decision making at the national level.

Given the prevailing situation ahead of the upcoming Lok Sabha polls, the meeting would also strengthen the ties between the DMK and regional players in other States.

This, party insiders, say would be vital when a situation arises with the regional players having enough numbers instead of national parties to call the shots after the LS elections.

It may be noted that the same DMK president had skipped a dinner hosted by the Congress for the oppositionparties on an earlier occasion.