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In an unexpected move, Prime Minister Narendra Modi will be meeting DMK chief Karunanidhi at his Gopalapuram residence in Chennai during his visit to the city on Monday.
BJP leader P Muralidhar Rao tweeted on Monday morning that Modi will be meeting the ‘senior most’ leader from the state.
During his visit to Tamil Nadu today, PM Sh Narendra Modi ji will visit senior most leader from the state and former CM Sh M. Karunanidhi.
— P Muralidhar Rao (@PMuralidharRao) November 6, 2017
Sources in the DMK said that the intention to visit was hinted at to the top leadership about a week ago, but it was not confirmed.
A DMK spokesperson, speaking to The News Minute, said, “I think this is basic politicking. Modi wants to gain some goodwill in Tamil Nadu by meeting our Thalaivar, to show that he has respect towards a senior leader like him.”
During the 2014 elections, Karunanidhi had played a key role in forming an alliance against the NDA. Though Narendra Modi has visited Chennai after becoming Prime Minister, this is the first time that he has reached out to the DMK chief.
The timing of the visit is also interesting as the date for the verdict in the 2g scam case may be announced on November 7, and the DMK is on tenterhooks over what the verdict will be and how it will affect the future of the party and the patriarch’s daughter Kanimozhi, who is an accused in the case.
Narendra Modi will land in Chennai at 10.00 am and then fly in a helicopter to the INS landing pad in Adyar. From there, he will travel via road to the Madras University to take part in the 75th anniversary celebrations of Dina Thanthi newspaper.
In June 2017, Congress Vice President Rahul Gandhi had met Karunanidhi in his residence. The DMK patriarch had not been venturing out for many months and had been hospitalised twice in the last year. However, he had recently stepped out of his residence and visited the office of Murasoli, the DMK's mouthpiece.