Union minister of state for environment and in-charge of Tamil Nadu affairs Prakash Javadekar, who air-dashed to Chennai on Thursday to make a last frantic bid to prevent Vijayakanth’s DMDK from joini
Union minister of state for environment and in-charge of Tamil Nadu affairs Prakash Javadekar, who air-dashed to Chennai on Thursday to make a last frantic bid to prevent Vijayakanth’s DMDK from joining the DMK-combine, failed to get his audience. The DMDK snubbed him saying the “captain” was away at his constituency Rishivandhiyam.
The minister who had on last Sunday assured to be back in the metro on Wednesday to firm up the alliance with the DMDK, arrived by a private airline without much fanfare and arrived at a hotel here quietly.
Many state leaders and cadres were totally unaware of this sudden surreptitious visit. He called on Mr Vijayakanth’s brother-in-law Sudeesh at the latter’s residence in Virugambakkam here and attempted to raise the issue of alliance. Mr Vijayakanth’s wife Ms Premalatha was said to be present.
“He was told that Vijayakanth was away at his constituency Rishivandhiyam and thereafter he had to return,” a source in the BJP, said.
The minister, sources said, then drove to the Institute of Ocean Management, Anna University, here, and undertook a review. He left for the national capital by a 5.05 pm flight.
Unlike the previous visit, Mr Javadekar was not accompanied by any of the state leaders. “The situation is not like what it was in 2014 when almost all the state leaders, individually and later collectively, held several rounds of talks with Vijayakanth, Vaiko, Anbumani Ramadoss, Parivendar, Eswaran and others before the mega alliance of the BJP was formally announced by our then party chief Rajnath Singh (on March 20 in the city). Now the issue of alliance is being dealt by our high command,” a BJP senior said.
Apparently sensing trouble from Mr Vijayakanth that he was ignored by the Central ministers during their visits, Union minister of state for road transport, highways and shipping Pon Radhakrishnan and national general secretary P. Muralidhar Rao attempted to placate the miffed “captain”.
But on the flip side, after forming the rainbow alliance for the May 2014 Lok Sabha, the BJP had not convened any meeting of its allies nor have any joint agitations on various issues including Aavin price hike and Tasmc were staged. Whenever the DMDK legislators began to face the heat for opposing the Treasury Benches in the Assembly, it was most invariably the DMK or Left party members who attempted to plead on behalf of DMDK members.
As the curtains come down, the BJP will face the polls without the DMDK and PMK. Indicating that the BJP is not keen on having truck with parties not opposed to corruption, party’s national general secretary P. Muralidhar Rao who was in the city on Thursday ruled out alliance also with the ruling AIADMK. “Media is speculating that we are going either with the AIADMK or DMK. We don’t want to go with both of them. We see various caste groups as partners of future,” he said.
