DMK office opening brings together opposition parties, but with no call for unity

New Delhi: Leaders from across political spectrum turned up at the DMK's office inauguration on Saturday at the national capital.

Presence of Sonia Gandhi, Samajwadi Party leader Akhilesh Yadav, Left leaders Sitaram Yechury and D Raja at the ceremony made absence of BJP leaders louder.

Leaders huddled at the podium as Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M K Stalin inaugurated the Anna-Kalaignar Arivalayam. Sonia opened a library at the office.

Others joined M K Stalin include National Conference leader Farooq Abdullah and representatives of the Trinamool Congress and TDP.

Leaders of dissimilar parties gathering at a venue is remarkable, considering the Congress' indifference to close ranks with smaller parties against BJP.

The Indian Express said that the Karunanidhi family and the Gandhis share a special bond. In the face of BJP's growing stature, Stalin suggested Congress develop "principled friendship" with parties much like the one DMK has in Tamil Nadu.

Call for unity among opposition come from regional parties including Stalin's earlier exhortation to "save India", which went unheard.

According to the Indian Express, Opposition parties are now not asking the Congress to take the lead.

However, Sonia's presence at the DMK event bespeaks that the Dravidian party is now the Congress's only steadfast ally.

The Congress has not even called a meeting of Opposition floor leaders for floor coordination in Parliament during the second leg of the Budget session, which is ending next week, the report said.

During his time in the capital this time, Stalin forwent a visit to Sonia Gandhi's but instead met Delhi Chief Minister and AAP leader Arvind Kejriwal on Friday, visiting a government school and mohalla clinic.

The report further said that Opposition leaders are puzzled at the Congress not putting its house in order as well as bringing together parties.

A more forceful voice came from West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee after she wrote to all non-BJP parties together to fight the BJP.

Close on the heels of this, Yechuri urged Stalin to convene a meeting of chief ministers to discuss federalism, social justice, among other topics. He described Stalin the most acceptable leader among the non-BJP chief ministers.

Yechury neither asked the Congress to take the lead, nor welcomed a meeting called by Mamata Banerjee.

At the DMK office inauguration on Saturday, there were neither any speeches nor a joint exhortation for Opposition unity, according to the report.

This is despite the presence of leaders including Congress leader in Lok Sabha Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury, senior Congress leader and Rajya Sabha MP P Chidambaram, MDMK leader and Rajya Sabha MP Vaiko, TDP's Kanakamedala Ravindra Kumar and Jayadev Galla and TMC's Mahua Moitra were also present.