Chennai: Chief Minister Edappadi K Palaniswami’s scheduled visit to Delhi on Monday, ostensibly to invite Prime Minister Narendra Modi to inaugurate the Jayalalithaa memorial and to discuss development plans for the State, led to tongues wagging in the political circles back home.
The political grapevine had it that Palaniswami has gone to explain to the Prime Ministers and other leaders of the BJP the difficulties in allowing the T T V Dhinakaran-led AMMK merge with the AIADMK at this point of time.
That Dhinakaran was also planning to fly to Delhi by a chartered flight only added fuel to the rumours, though Fisheries Minister D Jayakumar, who accompanied the Chief Minister, told the media rather categorically that the visit was to seek funds for the various schemes initiated by the State government and to invite the Prime Minister for the inaugural function.
The BJP, it is said, is keen that the AIADMK’s vote bank is intact when the alliance goes to polls,…