The procession of Congressmen beating a path to the Maurya Sheraton where DMK patriarch M Karunanidhi shifted last night has more to do with politics far north of Chennai, namely, the upcoming Assembly elections in Uttar Pradesh.
Last night, home minister P Chidambaram met Karunanidhi, followed by minister of state in the PMO V Narayanswamy. On Tuesday morning, health minister Ghulam Nabi Azad, who is also in charge of the southern state for the AICC met him, ostensibly carrying a message from Congress president Sonia Gandhi. Rajya Sabha MP Jayanthi Natarajan also met the DMK chief.
This surfeit of attention from the Congress after being totally ignored on Monday was, due mostly to Karunanidhi’s ?disturbed mood? after having met his daughter MK Kanimozhi at Delhi’s Tihar jail.
?When Kanimozhi was first arrested, both MK Stalin and MK Alagiri counselled patience to their father. But, Karunanidhi has been feeling stressed about the whole thing and was even quite sick one the way to Delhi. The sight of his daughter in jail and his inability to even protest is playing havoc with his mind. When he returned to hotel Taj Mansigh last night rather than go to Chennai, everyone knew that he had reached the end of his tether,? said a top source in the DMK.
Karunanidhi’s sons also conveyed to the Congress, that although they had counselled patience to their father, the sight of Kanimozhi in jail had changed matters. Immediately after that, home minister P Chidambaram rushed to Maurya Sheraton, where Karunanidhi had shifted. Soon after Narayanswamy followed.
?Soniaji has conveyed her concern to Karunanidhi and the DMK is an important ally for us,? Azad said this nmorning after meeting Karunanidhi. Congressmen concede that they need the 18 MPs of the DMK for the stability of their government at the Centre. Since the UP elections are due next year, they can no longer depend on the BSP or the SP as potential allies to prop up the government.
?Jayalalithaa has only 9 MPs in the Lok Sabha and is a jittery ally to have,? said a senior Congressman. In a changed world, post May 13, both the Congress, which had earlier seemed eager to distance themselves from scam tainted DMK and the latter which was too imperious in its dealings are learning to adjust to new realities and equations.