MK Stalin, Vaiko bury decade-old rivalry

Chennai: DMK working president M.K. Stalin is cozying up to MDMK general secretary Vaiko and had formally invited him for the platinum jubilee of DMK organ 'Murasoli' on August 11, in a build up towards forming a mega alliance.

The two leaders, who have been fierce opponents to each other for more than a decade, seem to have buried the hatchet, even while the DMK is optimistic of early elections to the Assembly as Chief Minister Edappadi K. Palaniswami and AIADMK deputy general secretary T.T.V. Dhinakaran are heading towards a showdown in August.

DMK spokesperson T.K.S. Elangovan confirmed that a formal invitation had been sent to Vaiko to take part in the function. It is not known if Vaiko chooses to attend the function, send a party representative with a greetings message recalling his association with Murasoli.

Both the parties are emitting strong signals that they are open to any alliance in future and the Murasoli function could be a new beginning. The Congress and Muslim outfits are already in the DMK front, while the CPI and VCK had joined the DMK's human chain protest recently.

The bonhomie between the DMK and MDMK began when Stalin in a statement condemning Malaysian government for refusing entry to Vaiko into the nation called the latter as 'elder brother'. Reciprocating the gesture, Vaiko who thanked Stalin, stopped attacking the DMK.

The DMK too is not criticising Vaiko and has stopped drawing functionaries from his party. Besides, DMK farmer's wing leader K.P. Ramalingam went in person to MDMK headquarters 'Thayagam' to invite Vaiko for a protest organised by the wing. Vaiko also condemned filing of a case against DMK's human chain protest and training guns on the ruling AIADMK.

DMK principal secretary K. Duraimurugan who met Vaiko at a function held in July 24 to remember poet Abdul Rahman, hugged each other openly showing that the leaders of the two parties do not share enmity anymore.

Before the 2016 Assembly elections, Vaiko attended the marriage function of DMK leader M. Karunanidhi's grandson, but he was humiliated in the function resulting in the MDMK leader's refusal to join the DMK front. Later, he formed the People's Welfare Alliance and deftly drew DMDK, which was the key to the election result, to his alliance, contributing to DMK's defeat.