New chief minister C. Joseph Vijay called on his defeated rival M.K. Stalin at his home on Monday, scripting a pleasant surprise at a time when political courtesy increasingly appears a relic from the distant past.
Vijay, donning a black suit, travelled to the DMK president and former chief minister’s residence first thing after being sworn in as a member of the Assembly along with the other newly elected MLAs.
Udayanidhi Stalin, leader of the Opposition and a former actor-producer who had collaborated with Vijay in the film industry, received the Tamizhaga Vettri Kazhagam leader at the entrance with a hug and led him to his father.
Vijay, who was accompanied by Bussy S. Anand, a long-time associate and now a minister in his government, offered a bouquet of flowers and a shawl to Stalin.
After a brief conversation, Udayanidhi presented Vijay with a copy of a recently published history of the DMK, Through the Black and Red Times — DMK @75: Politics, Society, Culture and Economy. He then saw the chief minister off, walking up to the gate with him.
Stalin later posted four pictures of his meeting with Vijay on X, with the words: “Vijay who has taken charge as Chief Minister called on me today with grace and political civility to seek my wishes. I extended my affectionate wishes and my advice.”
Vijay later paid courtesy visits to the homes of MDMK leader Vaiko, one of the senior-most stalwarts of the Dravidian Movement; PMK leader Anbumani Ramadoss; and Seeman, chief coordinator of the Tamil Nationalist outfit Naam Tamizhar Katchi.
Political observers believe that apart from political civility, one of the reasons for these visits is Vijay’s keenness to burnish his “pro-Dravidian” credentials.
With the TVK defeating both the DMK and the AIADMK and forming its government with support from smaller parties — the Congress, Left, and Dalit and minority outfits — questions have been raised about its ideological moorings.
Some analysts have suggested that the TVK is the “first non-Dravidian party” to assume power in Tamil Nadu since the Annadurai-led DMK’s historic defeat of the Congress in 1967.
It’s partly to shed this “non-Dravidian” tag that Vijay had perhaps paid homage at the memorial to the late rationalist and social reformer Periyar, one of the founders of the Dravidian Movement, after being sworn in as chief minister.
He has also met K. Veeramani, leader of the Dravidar Kazhagam, the ideological parent of both the DMK and the AIADMK and other breakaway formations.
In the evening, J.C.D. Prabhakar, AIADMK member turned TVK legislator, was elected Speaker with fellow TVK member Ravishankar as his deputy. There was just one nomination for either post.
Their appointments will be officially announced on Tuesday by pro-tem Speaker M.V. Karuppiah, who administered the oath of office to the newly elected MLAs on Monday.
AIADMK churn
The AIADMK appears to face a crisis with nearly 30 of its 47 MLAs revolting against the leadership of Edappadi K. Palaniswami. The rebels, led by former minister C.V. Shanmugam, believe the party should have supported Vijay and helped him form the government.
Vijay, who eventually garnered a majority with the support of DMK allies Congress, CPI, CPM, VCK and the Indian Union Muslim League, is to take a floor test on or before Wednesday, May 13.
