Reporter’s Diary: Thiruma’s AIADMK connect starts buzz in State politics

As if the Chidambaram MPs recent visit to the CMO was not enough to keep pundits engaged, the ruling AIADMK has stirred the pot by inviting Thiruma for the inauguration of Vanniyar leader Ramasami Padayachi’s memorial in Cuddalore on Monday, and that, too, after giving PMK Rajya Sabha MP Anbumani Ramadoss a miss.  Absence of its youth wing leader’s name in the official invitation has kept tongues wagging in the circles of PMK, which has been celebrating its leader Ramasami Padayachi. The AIADMK dispensation, instead of the putting speculation to bed, fuelled it by not ruling out the possibility of a political realignment. When asked if the PMK and VCK could swap camps, Deputy Chief Minister O Panneerselvam said that anything was possible in politics.

What he did not realise was that the innocuous statement had kept ally PMK cadre guessing. Worse, the rumours refused to die down even after Thiruma clarified that such ideas were deliberately floated by people averse to the growth of VCK. Probably, the Dalit leader’s denial was not strong enough to discourage reports emanating since the VCK got on the nerves of DMK, especially after it had pressed for reserving Chennai mayorship for SCs.