Stalin denies talks with BJP; DMK-Naidu meet triggers speculation
Even as DMK leader MK Stalin rebutted BJP state president Tamilisai Soudararajan’s claim that he is in talks with the latter’s party, DMK leader Durai Murugan met with Andhra Pradesh (AP) CM Chandrababu Naidu at the government secretariat in Amaravathi in AP.
Durai Murugan termed the meeting a courtesy call and denied any political intentions. DMK sources said Durai Murugan had gone to a temple with his family and called on Chandrababu Naidu when he came to know that the latter was around.
Speculation was rife as the meeting with the AP CM came a day after Telangana Chief Minister K Chandrasekhara Rao (KCR) met Stalin. On Tuesday, Stalin said he would quit politics if Tamilisai Soundararajan and the BJP could prove that he was in talks with the BJP for an alliance. He wanted to know if Tamilisai Soundararajan would quit politics if she failed to prove her allegation.
KCR had been visiting leaders of various parties to push his federal front idea. KCR had been planning a non-Congress, non-BJP front. He had met Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan and Stalin. Initially, the DMK leader had KCR an audience by citing a busy campaign schedule. The Stalin-KCR meeting happened subsequently on Monday.
After meeting for over an hour, DMK officially said it was a courtesy call. Sources in the know said KCR came up with the idea of linking all regional parties. But Stalin urged KCR to support the Congress to keep the BJP out of power, they said.
TN minister for Dairy Development KT Rajendra Balaji termed the meeting as DMK’s betrayal of the Congress and Fisheries minister D Jayakumar went a step ahead and said the DMK was in talks with the BJP as well.
In a reassertion, Tamilisai Soundararajan told reporters on Tuesday that the DMK was attempting to hold talks with Narendra Modi. She said the onus was on Stalin to disprove her statement. She said the party [BJP] knew when to ‘prove it,’ adding that she wished Kalaignar’s son to be in politics for a while.
