Thiaga Rajan back in the thick of ruling DMK affairs

CHENNAI: State IT Minister Palanivel Thiaga Rajan aka PTR is back in the thick of the DMK affairs after over a year of ‘vanvas’. His inclusion in the Lok Sabha poll manifesto committee headed by party deputy general secretary Kanimozhi, party circles believe, was enough indication that the party high command or rather the DMK first family has let bygones be bygones vis-a-vis PTR.

DMK insiders familiar with PTR’s rapprochement admitted that his ‘reunion’ with the Stalin’s was on the cards for a while now. They even cite the Minister’s visit to the Chief Minister’s camp office on Pongal day as proof of change of heart in the DMK helm.

“The dust around the infamous audio episode settled at least a few months ago. PTR has been trying hard to revive ties with the leadership for a while. When his visit to the CM’s residence on Pongal day happened, it was official that the leadership was willing to look beyond the one off incident, which distanced him from the high command. It was confirmed when thalaivar included him as one of the members of the manifesto committee,” said a highly placed leader on his way to Salem to attend the second state conference of the party youth wing.

Any person with a good grip of contemporary politics would admit that poll manifestos these days require more than pomp, and it needs to connect with the young voters. The composition of the committee which is packed with youngsters like PTR, TRB Rajaa, Abdullah, Rajeshkumar and Mayor Priya is an indication that the leadership wants fresh thinking and it has the footprint of influential Minister-youth wing secretary Udhayanidhi Stalin written all over it. So, PTR must have mended fences with the top brass with the total blessings of Udhayanidhi, argued a youth wing functionary unwilling to be quoted.

If the words of the DMK insiders are something to go by, the Minister could expect more pleasant surprises.