Is Stalin hobnobbing with regional parties in the north?

The Sunday’s swearing in ceremony of Jharkhand Chief Minister Hemant Soren was one such where the DMK chief ensured that he rubbed shoulders with secular-minded allies against the BJP. Till a while ago, the same DMK president was content with deputing his sister Kanimozhi or Parliamentary party leader TR Baalu to multi-party events in the north of the peninsula.

On Sunday, Stalin said; “Honoured to be present at the swearing-in ceremony of @HemantSorenJMM. Unity and coordination among secular parties essential to oppose #CAA & #NRC & #NPR fight back communal forces and protect social justice. Wish the new government in Jharkhand a successful tenure.”

A visibly pleased Stalin, who posted a video of his exchanging pleasantries with the non-BJP leaders on his official Twitter handle said, “I come from Tamil Nadu, the land of social justice, to attend the swearing-in ceremony of son of Shibu Soren who has been fighting for tribes.” It may be recalled that a month ago, Stalin had attended the swearing in-ceremony of Shiv Sena leader Udhav Thackeray albeit Congress national leaders Sonia and Rahul Gandhi deciding to abstain from the event. That he was keen on jacking up his political stature at the national level aside, some critics have also sensed a different political undertone in Stalin’s participation in political events outside the state.

“Though he hobnobs with Rahul Gandhi, Stalin is trying to project himself as the face of the anti-BJP formation even without the Congress in Tamil Nadu. It will help him reduce the bargaining power of the Congress in 2021,” says political commentator Ravindran Doraisamy. “He has participated only in JMM’s event. Stalin has been maintaining a good rapport with regional parties in the north,” he reasoned.

DMK president MK Stalin has asked his party men to be extra vigilant for the second phase of the civic polls. Remarking that inputs from party workers and alliance party functionaries from the field was encouraging, Stalin cautioned that the ruling AIADMK would engage in malpractices, the same way it did during the Parliamentary polls. Reiterating that the local body polls would be a precursor to the next Assembly elections, Stalin said the party functionaries and allies should work together till the entire polling process gets over because the ruling party, which engages in malpractices aplenty during direct polls, would attempt more in an indirect election.