DMK’s key Dalit man meets state BJP chief

Though Duraisamy chose not to publicise the visit, a message posted on the official Facebook page of state BJP said the DMK deputy general secretary had called on the BJP president to congratulate him on doing a decent job after taking over the reins on the party recently.

As much as the visit, inaccessibility of Duraisamy since last evening’s surprise meeting has angered many in the DMK, including its high command.

Duraisamy was learnt to have complained to a few ‘friends,’ who had managed to reach him, about the lack of respect in the Dravidian party. A party source who did not wish to be named said the former deputy speaker had regrets even over the high command not consulting him on the recent appointment of Rajesh Kumar as district secretary in his native Namakkal.

Though it was a wee bit early to speculate what appears to be his imminent defection to the saffron camp, DMK insiders suspect that the recent Rajya Sabha elections could have been the proverbial last straw that prompted the deputy general secretary to knock at the BJP doors.

“He was confident that the party would pick him as the Arundathiyar candidate for RS berth, but the leadership preferred Anthiyur Selvaraj. Even prior to the nomination, he had remained disinterested. The RS ticket might have got the better of him,” said a party functionary requesting anonymity.

“It is too early to speculate. But, if it were a courtesy call, he need not have gone inaccessible. Something is amiss. Except him being a deputy general secretary, no one is even taking it seriously. We have overcome the exit of MGR, Vaiko and a few in recent decades too. He is no one in the party. Hardly many have cared to discuss his visit to Kamalalayam. If it were KN Nehru or I Periasamy, leadership would be concerned. If he’s serious about leaving or antagonising the leadership ahead of an election year, he stands to lose,” said a second rung leader on condition of anonymity.