Vaiko’s meetings with BJP leaders set tongues wagging 

Barely a week was over since his return to the RS, but Vaiko has already kept tongues wagging in the political circles here, especially the DMK and Congress.

Even a few members of the DMK, which nominated the MDMK general secretary to the upper house after 23 years, were curious to know why the latter was choosy in meeting political leaders in the first few days of his return to the upper house. Vaiko had visited a handful of BJP leaders, including Subramanian Swamy who had opposed his nomination to the Rajya Sabha. Vaiko had also met senior BJP leader LK Advani, Union Minister Prakash Javadekar and former BJP strongman Yaswant Sinha in a week.

He had even cared to visit National Conference leader Farooq Abdulla besides the family of his deceased friend George Fernandes.

Significantly, Vaiko who had time to meet so many members in the Opposition camp has yet to visit either Rahul Gandhi or his mother Sonia. Be it coincidence or deliberate, the conspicuous avoidance of Congress leaders has raised eyebrows in the state Congress circles.

Congress leaders here wonder if the MDMK general secretary had revived his hatred for their grand old party.

A few Congress leaders with knowledge of the newfound bonhomie between Vaiko and DMK president MK Stalin have even started suspecting if Vaiko was ‘ignoring’ Rahul, the same PM candidate he had campaigned for, with the approval of the DMK leadership.

“If he has time to visit Subramanian Swamy, why not our leaders?” We don’t bother if he does not visit our leaders, but this looks deliberate.” Congress senior said, seeking to know if Vaiko was reviving his friendship with the BJP.