CM Stalin goes into huddle with allies on DMDK, Ramadoss

CHENNAI: Just when most of the political circles are engrossed in the Vice-Presidential election that has increased the political excitement to feverish pitch in the country, Chief Minister MK Stalin on Tuesday silently got into a huddle with his alliance partners to broaden Secular Progressive Alliance (SPA).

Highly placed DMK sources disclosed to DT Next that CM Stalin was involved in a discussion with ten alliance party leaders, including VCK chief Thol Thirumavalavan, MNM leader Kamal Haasan, MDMK general secretary Vaiko, CPI state secretary Mutharasan, CPM state secretary P Shanmugham and KMDK leader ER Eswaran at his Cenotaph residence. A DMK leader privy to the discussion revealed that the leaders talked about roping in new allies, besides the September 9 Vice-Presidential election.

High on the agenda of the discussion was the possibility of accommodating Ramadoss-led PMK and DMDK helmed by Premalatha Vijayakant into the secular alliance. Though the DMK was keen on broadening the alliance, as the leader of the front, Chief Minister Stalin was certain that a consensus must be created among the allies before engaging with the potential allies, especially Ramadoss, whose inclusion could ‘disturb’ the bonhomie with Thiruma who has stated publicly that he cannot be a part of the tie-up comprising either the PMK or BJP.

Stalin’s feast for allies

It has been reliably learnt that Dr Ramadoss, who has been unusually cordial with the DMK of late, so much so that he even called Stalin an example of a dutiful son, communicated his willingness to Anna Arivalayam for a rendezvous with the Chief Minister recently.

Tuesday’s meeting is also an indication of DMK’s readiness to engage the potential allies. The meeting was organised with the pretext of hosting a feast for alliance leaders on account of Stalin’s wedding day, which falls on August 20, a first such outreach on such an occasion, ever since SPA was formed.