Amidst reports of Union minister for chemicals and fertilisers M.K. Alagiri having put in his papers, senior DMK leader T.R. Baalu on Wednesday called on Congress supremo Sonia Gandhi. According to sources, Mr Baalu met Mrs Gandhi to apprise her of the recent developments in the DMK as the two parties have reiterated that they will contest the upcoming Assembly polls together.
When asked about the meeting, Mr Baalu said that he had met Mrs Gandhi to convey his New Year greetings and that it was more of a courtesy call than anything else.
Though Mr Baalu brushed aside assumptions that he had gone to discuss the state of affairs within the DMK, according to sources, he explained in detail the crisis that has hit the DMK.
In the aftermath of Mr Alagiri’s demands that Ms Kanimozhi and Mr A. Raja be sacked and minister in the state Cabinet Poongothai Aruna be shown the door, failing which he would relieve himself from the post of organising secretary, south, the DMK chief is in a dilemma.
Therefore, Mr Baalu was sent as an emissary of the DMK chief to Mrs Gandhi to explain the latest developments.
Also, sources said that the issue of Mr Raja came up for discussion between the two.
According to sources, it has been decided by the DMK to keep its alliance partner in the loop over any development within the party so that no misunderstanding crops up. This is in light of the fact that some Congress leaders from the state are in favour of breaking the alliance with the DMK. Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and Tamil Nadu chief minister Karunanidhi, a couple of days ago, said that the alliance between the two parties is very strong.
Mr Baalu has also referred to the statements of Congress leader and former Union minister E.V.K.S. Elangovan on the alliance issue as a thorn in the flesh to Mrs Gandhi. It is a known fact that Mr Elangovan is against the continuance of the tieup with the DMK.