Congress chief’s controversial visits

Many Congress leaders fear that it could backfire as the same leaders would be going hammer and tongs against them in a week from now. Objection has been raised, irrespective of the factional divisions. 

“He can visit them after elections. Those leaders he is visiting now are preparing their scripts to attack Congress,” said a PCC member requesting anonymity. That it is a good political culture to call on rival party leaders could not be disputed, but the problem is the same leaders would be training their guns at the Congress and DMK in a few days.

“We are not objecting to the visits, but its timing,” said a senior leader from Chennai region. Incidentally, Thirunavukkarasar, on Thursday met CPI state secretary Mutharasan, unmindful of the objections raised by party functionaries. Much to their chagrin, Thirunavukkarasar has scheduled meetings with a few more rival party leaders in the next few days, and that too after his meeting with ally DMK leaders was in itself fraught with controversies. 

DMK was annoyed over the TNCC chief delaying his meeting with its treasurer MK Stalin despite having time aplenty. Understandably, it was one of the reasons the DMK had delayed granting him appointment to meet the party president M Karunanidhi.