Chennai: His party being the third-largest in the Lok Sabha, Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin's recent visit to the national capital has acquired political significance. Besides the DMK's national ambitions, the DMK chief is seen as a leader with the potential to unify the opposition parties against the BJP's dominance on the national scene. He met leaders of various parties -- from the Congress to the AAP, presenting an acceptable face to all.
Turning his attention toward national politics, Stalin, it appears, has taken initial steps to script a fresh chapter in bringing together non-BJP parties. His recent trip to the national capital wherein he engaged with a wide range of leaders from various parties is proof of it. The DMK is keen on carving out a space for itself on the national scene. The inauguration of the DMK party office in Delhi last week, witnessed the participation of leaders of various hues, signalling the importance of the Dravidian major.
Days before the trip to Delhi, Stalin, in a letter to DMK workers said, "The DMK and the Dravidian model of implementing the party's policies play an indispensable role in national politics. The 'Anna-Kalaignar Arivalayam', is an expression of Dravidian ideology together with the emotional bonding of party workers. Many historians have consistently insisted that the history of India should be written from the south. And that has commenced with the 'Anna-Kalaignar Arivalayam'."
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Apart from his official engagements with Prime Minister Narendra Modi and other ministers, he called on Sonia Gandhi and other opposition stalwarts including Aam Aadmi Party national convener and Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal. Those in attendance at the inauguration of the DMK office were CPI(M) General Secretary Sitaram Yechury, CPI National Secretary D.Raja, Samajwadi Party leader Akhilesh Yadav, Jammu & Kashmir National Conference leader Farooq Abdullah, Trinamool Congress MP Mahua Moitra, Biju Janata Dal leader Amar Patna and Telugu Desam Party MP Rammohan Naidu among others.
In the past, Trinamool Congress leader and West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee and Telangana Rashtra Samithi leader and Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao have tried to form a national level opposition front without the Congress. But, they were not successful and they could not elicit support. The Shiv Sena had criticized Mamata Banerjee's attempt to leave the Congress out, saying it would only favour the BJP. Kejriwal too said, "If the opposition leaders do not oppose the BJP, it will be an advantage to BJP".
According to observers, Stalin has established himself as a strong leader with a political vision, different from that of Modi. Last month, the book launch of Stalin's autobiography held in Chennai witnessed the participation of Rahul Gandhi of the Congress, former Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah, Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan and RJD leader and opposition leader in Bihar assembly Tejaswi Yadav. This was seen as the first initiative to unite the opposition.
Commenting on Stalin's visit to Delhi, a senior DMK executive said, "No one can deny the national-level recognition of Stalin and DMK will certainly succeed in uniting the opposition parties against the BJP." However, analyst Raveendran Duraisamy was not that confident. "Tamil Nadu politics is completely different from the politics of other states. Therefore, it will be a challenge for DMK leader Stalin to unite all the opposition leaders at the national level," he said.
Also read: Stalin's Book Launch: Springboard for foray into National Politics
