DMK, PMK bigwigs meet secretly in Chennai?

A source in DMK revealed that the meeting likely happened in a hotel owned by a prominent businessman-politician of DMK around the time the general council was convened.

The PMK leader was understood to have reached the hotel all decked up in the cover of dark to avoid being recognized by onlookers for the rendezvous with the DMK leader hailing from the same Vanniyar community.

A DMK insider unwilling to be named said the private meeting between the two, which lasted close to 45 minutes, was doing rounds in the party circles since Friday.

“It is unclear when or if they had even met. Some functionaries have been speculating that the meeting might have happened on Friday after DMK youth wing secretary Udhayanidhi was prevented by PMK men on Thursday when he had visited the family of a NEET applicant who committed suicide in Ariyalur,” the DMK insider said, referring to the reported road blockade suffered by Udhayanidhi’s entourage.

However, a few DMK insiders in the know said the meeting might have happened early this week or last weekend, citing the ‘offensive’ statements being made by the PMK leadership against its ally AIADMK regime.

“Ties between PMK and AIADMK have not been cordial of late. PMK might have realized the political value of its ally even during the Lok Sabha polls. It might not be a deal clincher. The meeting might be among the many which could happen in the months to come,” said a DMK senior.

“He (Duraimurugan) will not meet the top brass of PMK without the knowledge of Stalin. Even if he had met on short notice, he would have detailed the meeting to Stalin immediately.

The PMK leadership might have conveyed its interests to Stalin through the influential DMK leader, who was among the leaders favourably disposed to somehow roping in PMK even for the 2019 Lok Sabha election.

However, the leader, who was wary of such informal meetings, said the DMK leadership would take the feelers from probable allies with a pinch of salt because they are wary of the community-based party trying to jack up its bargaining power with ruling AIADMK through such meetings.