CM Stalin’s invite to Kejiri perplexes Cong

CHENNAI: Chief Minister MK Stalin has kept his allies guessing by accommodating Congress and Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) simultaneously.

While demonstrating his commitment to the Secular Progressive Alliance by agreeing to launch the Bharat Jodo Yatra of Rahul Gandhi’s Congress in a few days, Stalin has perplexed the Congressmen by inviting Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal for the inauguration of Puthumai Pen scheme under which the government would be paying Rs 1,000 per girl college students in the state.

Congress leaders are unhappy with the DMK inviting their pro-right political rival to inaugurate one of its flagship schemes, more so when the party is trying to revive its fortunes and cobble up a strong secular alliance against the BJP ahead of the 2024 Lok Sabha elections.

“Both the BJP and AAP are our rivals. We will be fighting them both in Gujarat Assembly polls. What is the message they (DMK) are sending to non-BJP members across the country by inviting a well-known pro-right rival of ours to inaugurate your scheme,” said a Congress senior, admitting that the DMK has certainly offended them.

“Is the DMK favourably disposed to accommodating the AAP? Is the DMK okay with hobnobbing with another party with rightwing ideological leanings? Only the DMK should answer? Indeed, the DMK was first to propose Rahul for PM in 2019. Is the party having a rethink now?” a state level Congress functionary, asked wondering if the DMK was open to the idea of having a non-Congress PM candidate.

The national party’s suspicions were further strengthened by reports suggesting that Chief Minister Stalin was averse to attending the Bharat Jodo meeting and he wanted to restrict his participation to launching the Yatra. State Congress chief KS Alagiri, however, attempted to put the issue to rest by reasoning that they have only invited CM Stalin to launch the yatra and not attend the meeting.