M Karunanidhi birthday today: All eyes on Chennai

Congress President Rahul Gandhi, CPI (M) General Secretary Sitaram Yechury, CPI’s D Raja, National Conference leader Farooq Abdullah, Nationalist Congress Party leader Sharad Pawar, Bihar chief minister Nitish Kumar, TMC’s Derek O Brien and Puducherry Chief Minister V Narayanasamy would attend the grand luncheon at Leela Palace followed by the rally in Royapettah. 

Odisha Chief Minister Navin Patnaik and RJD chief Lalu Prasad have expressed their inability to join the rest on Saturday owing to illness and pressing commitments. According to DMK sources, Karunanidhi would not host leaders on Saturday, but the family is understood to have agreed to engage  Rahul Gandhi  at Gopalapuram on Sunday. Party sources also said that Farooq Abdullah has also expressed his desire to meet karunanidhi. 

Earlier, President Pranab Mukherjee, Vice-President Hamid Ansari, Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan and its Governor P Sadasivam had sent separate greeting messages to Karunanidhi.