Goel’s Chennai mission fails to end BJP-DMK chill

With the BJP-DMK relations worsening by the day, PM Atal Bihari Vajpayee deputed a personal emissary to Chennai tonight to assuage the feeli...

int(3)

With the BJP-DMK relations worsening by the day, PM Atal Bihari Vajpayee deputed a personal emissary to Chennai tonight to assuage the feelings of DMK chief M. Karunanidhi.

There was no indication of a success after Vajpayee’s emissary, Minister of State in the PMO Vijay Goel, was through with a 45-minute meeting with Karunanidhi.

Speaking to journalists, Goel maintained that the issue of DMK-BJP ties in Tamil Nadu did not crop up during the talks. ‘‘I hope the problems between the two can be sorted out amicably,’’ he added. However, Karunanidhi said — ‘‘We stand where we stood earlier’’ — implying that he had not been pacified yet.

Story continues below this ad

Several factors have strained the relations between the two NDA partners, but mainly, it is the BJP flirtation with the AIADMK on the one hand and the hostility of BJP national secretary L. Ganesan, hailing from Tamil Nadu, to Karunanidhi on the other.

Goel underlined that DMK is a ‘‘dependable and trust-worthy ally’’, and the BJP is not ‘‘flirting’’ with the AIADMK. He sought to downplay the DMK criticism of disinvestment policy. He did not ‘‘foresee any problem’’ with two senior ministers of DMK in the Vajpayee Government — Murasoli Maran and T.R. Baalu — on the disinvestment issue. Karunanidhi, however said he was only “cautioning” the government.

Goel said that the support of AIADMK to the NDA on certain issues like POTA does not mean that the BJP is drifting away from the DMK.

On the BJP’s desire to contest the Sattankulam Assembly by-poll, Goel said he had not come to discuss local issues, but only to enquire about the health of Maran, whose is recuperating in the US.

Story continues below this ad

Asked whether he had discussed the issue of handing over portfolios of Maran to some other DMK MP, Goel said the question does not arise now.