Congress workers hopeful of a tie-up with Rajini in 2021

Though senior Congress leaders, both at the state and national level, have not established contact with Rajinikanth, some ambitious Congress second rung leaders here are sending feelers to their bosses in the state unit and accessible bosses in the national unit to reconsider relationship with the DMK, which neither party top brass have remotely considered even.

“A leader of our ally NCP and a couple of Congress seniors in Delhi are in touch with him. Even that is Maharashtra connection. None from our high command are in touch with him (Rajini) now,” said a Congress source requesting anonymity, adding that former union finance minister P Chidambaram, who is the most influential Congress leader from Tamil Nadu, had last met him only during a recent wedding of powerful corporate honchos in Maharashtra.

A senior Congress functionary close to state party chief KS Alagiri, said; “He might be in touch with his friends in the party. Otherwise, no one has even considered warming up to him. Let him float his party first.” “Whether Rajini considers an alliance with us or not, the DMK should realise that we would not be averse to snap ties. Dravidian parties should not take us for granted, which they have done in the local body polls. The alliance has been strained never like before. Many of their district secretaries have burnt bridges. It is not easy to repair the strain. Thankfully, we have over a year, be it to revivesoured ties with DMK or establish fresh contact with others,” said a Congress second rung leader.

“It might be a ploy of the Congress to improve its bargaining capacity with us. Rajini might be averse to joining the BJP due to the saffron party’s unpopularity in Tamil Nadu, but, that does not mean he would consider Congress as an alternative. What does he gain by joining a weak Congress?” a DMK functionary requesting anonymity reasoned.