Presidential poll: MLAs give key role for DMK

A decade ago, it was the same Karunanidhi, who, sitting from Chennai, successfully proposed Prathiba Patil’s name for President, a fact he had claimed credit for on many occasions and one even his son and DMK working president MK Stalin did not fail to recall to UPA president nominee Meira Kumar on Saturday evening. 

Notably, a weak DMK, led by Stalin, which has no representation in the Lok Sabha now, still wields ‘some’ influence in the same matter of national significance. 

In fact, critics were not averse to admitting that the Presidential election has given some political traction to the party, which drew a blank in Lok Sabha polls in 2014. That the grand showing on June 3, when non-BJP leaders, including the likes of CPM state secretary Sitaram Yechury asked him to lead the fight against the BJP in Tamil Nadu, as did his father Karunanidhi during the last decade, was testimony to it. 

Surprisingly, the BJP had also contributed to DMK’s renewed political vigour. Venkaiah Naidu’s invitation to the DMK in the Presidential poll had influenced as much the Congress as it did the DMK. 

“Congress was made to hurry and secure DMK support after Union Minister Venkaiah Naidu sought DMK’s support and made it public. Perhaps, the BJP is keeping a channel open with the DMK keeping in mind the 2019 Lol Sabha elections,” said political analyst Ravindran Doraisami. 

Even on Saturday, a desperate Congress was so keen not show even a semblance of disgruntlement that an uninvited state Congress president Su Thirunavukkarasar prodded Meira Kumar to thank Stalin during the media briefing after she had mustered the support of members of the collegium here for the Presidential election.