Union finance minister Pranab Mukherjee called on Tamil Nadu chief minister M. Karunanidhi on Sunday morning amid reports that the Congress and the DMK have begun talks on strengthening the alliance ahead of the Assembly elections in May.
Accompanied by state Congress chief K.V. Thangkabalu, Mr Mukherjee held a 25-minute discussion with the chief minister. Highly placed Congress sources told this newspaper the two leaders largely discussed the current political scenario in the state besides the Sri Lankan Navy attacks on Tamil Nadu fishermen.
Mr Karunanidhi has specifically asked Mr Mukherjee to silence dissidents and iron out differences in the state Cong-ress unit besides the “possible” electoral alliance of the Democratic Progressive Alli-ance. Sources said Mr Karun-anidhi spoke to the finance minister about how infighting in the TNCC could play spoilsport since one faction of the state Congress does not work for the victory of the other. Mr Karunanidhi was learnt to have asked Mr Mukherjee to ensure the TNCC spoke in one voice and coordinated with the DMK. They also discussed the strategies to be adopted while accommodating the VCK and PMK in the alliance. However, sources described the meeting as preparatory and said the actual seat numbers would be discussed only when Mr Karunanidhi meets Congress president Sonia Gandhi at the end of this month.