Barely a day after Deputy Chief Minister O Panneerselvam declared that the compartmental reservation for Vanniyars was provisional, DMK president MK Stalin said the AIADMK leadership had announced reservation for political mileage and electoral gains.

As if Stalin’s assault on the issue was not enough, former union minister cum senior Congress leader P Chidambaram joined the issue and said, “Deputy Chief Minister has said that 10.5 per cent compartmental reservation is provisional. His botheration is southern districts. Law Minister says the reservation is permanent. It’s his personal concern.”

“What will the CM say? Above all, what will the BJP, which does not believe in allocation (quota), say?” Chidambaram tweeted, upping his ante on the ruling alliance on the reservation issue.

Chidambaram, in fact, did not stop with reservation. Campaigning for Congress candidate Selvaperunthagai in Kundrathur, Chidambaram said the BJP-led Centre had let down Tamils by abstaining from the UN vote against Sri Lanka.