All roads lead to his home as Vijayakant turns poll ‘captain’

CHENNAI: “Everyone thinks we are just a 1% party. Let the elections come, we will show them our strength,” actor and DMDK president Vijaykant had told TOI sometime last year. His words have turned prophetic as political leaders and aspiring politicians make a beeline to his Saligramam residence in Chennai.

After former TNCC president S Thirunavukkarasar called on Vijayakant on Thursday, it was the turn of actor Rajinikanth and DMK president M K Stalin to catch up with the DMDK chief on Friday. For the record, they said they came to inquire about Vijayakant’s health. Barring Rajinikanth, others could be eyeing the 2%-3% vote bank of DMDK, which is up for grabs after the party’s alliance talks with AIADMK-BJP combine hit a hurdle. On Tuesday, however, deputy chief minister O Panneerselvam said in Madurai that talks with DMDK were on and would be concluded in the next couple of days.

It has been a week since Vijayakant returned to the city last Saturday after treatment at a hospital in the US. He was left alone for three days before Union minister and BJP Tamil Nadu in-charge for parliamentary polls Piyush Goyal met him on Tuesday evening.

Accompanied by BJP leaders, Goyal called on Vijayakant at his residence to thrash out differences and get DMDK on board the AIADMK-BJP alliance. As talks remained inconclusive, Goyal, however, told reporters that he had come only to inquire about Vijayakant’s health.

“Everything in life is not just about alliances and politics,” he said. Two days later, on Thursday, it was the turn of Thirunavukkarasar. The Congress leader, however, did not hide the fact that they also discussed politics.


Came to inquire about Vijayakant’s health, says Stalin

Chennai: “With Vijayakant being the leader of his political party and me a politician, it will be a lie if I say we did not discuss politics. I had told him to take the right call,” Thirunavukkarasar, whose Congress is already aligned with the DMK, said.

As if sensing the sudden demand for the party, the DMDK on Friday asked its partymen, who were interested in contesting the Lok Sabha polls, to submit applications at the party office for all the 39 seats in Tamil Nadu and the lone seat in Puducherry from Sunday.

“Alliance talks are on. You will get to know in a week,” DMDK treasurer and Vijayakant’s wife Premalatha told reporters on Friday.

Around the same time, actor Rajinikanth called on Vijayakant before DMK president Stalin came visiting.

“Vijayakant was the first one to enquire about my health, when my health was affected sometime ago. There is nothing political about this meeting and there is no change in my already stated stand on politics and parliamentary polls,” Rajinikanth said.

For his part, Stalin said, “Vijayakant is a long-time friend. I was moved by a video, recorded in the US, where Vijayakant was seen crying after learning about Kalaignar’s (M Karunanidhi) death. Soon after landing in Chennai, he headed straight to his memorial on the Marina. I have come here to enquire about his health,” Stalin said.

He thanked a journalist for the “good thoughts”, when the former asked about the possibility of DMDK joining the DMK alliance.