Reporter's Diary: Rahul’s move to condole PMK leader’s death leave others nonplussed

Even Congress leaders in Tamil Nadu refuse to believe that the condolence message Rahul had sent to Guru’s family was merely an act of political decency. 

The buzz in Tamil Nadu Congress is that the national leadership was not averse to acquiescing to a few state leaders who have been constantly prodding it to accommodate PMK in the Congress-led alliance in 2019, much to the chagrin of bankable ‘ally’ DMK. 

Grapevine has it that former TNCC president Krishnasamy, who is the father in law of Anbumani Ramadoss, had coaxed AICC in-charge of Tamil Nadu Mukul Wasnik to get Rahul to condole the demise of Guru, a controversial political figure known for his inflammatory casteist remarks. 

Rahul’s gesture has lent credence to rumours about a recent meeting between Krishnasamy and Ramadoss senior in which the latter was understood to have asked the former to broker peace between the two parties, four years since Ramadoss junior was elected to the Lok Sabha from Dharmapuri in an alliance comprising the BJP. 

Congress leaders in the state construe that it could be another AICC retaliation against the DMK — which has been frequently annoying the national partner by hobnobbing with its rivals — even to the extent of pretending to engage the idea of a third front.