Rahul Gandhi’s absence fuels alliance friction buzz | India News

CHENNAI: In the last two months, PM Narendra Modi has visited Tamil Nadu thrice, campaigning for BJP and its allies, and is scheduled to visit the state again on April 15 and seek votes for the NDA candidates at Nagercoil. In sharp contrast, Congress’s Rahul Gandhi has not campaigned even once in the state so far.His absence has sparked a strong buzz that all is not well in the Congress-DMK alliance. Poll watchers contrast this with the previous assembly election, when he kickstarted his campaign with a three-day Tamil Nadu visit in Jan 2021.Congress functionaries in state said Rahul’s campaign schedules are yet to be firmed up, but as per the tentative plan, he will visit after the first phase of polls in Assam, Kerala and Puducherry.Rahul visited Puducherry only on Monday, the penultimate day of campaigning. And, even as he sought support for “Congress candidates and alliance candidates”, he studiously avoided mentioning alliance partner DMK and its functionary M K Stalin.Stalin, too, was in Puducherry the same day, but their campaign schedules were planned in a way that they didn’t cross paths. While Rahul campaigned in the morning, Stalin visited in the evening.“Rahul did not even mention Stalin’s name in his speech,” said a DMK functionary. Nor did Stalin mention him. Political observers said this could be a fallout of the friction between the two parties during the seat-sharing talks.A DMK functionary said there was no attempt from DMK’s side for a meeting between Rahul and Stalin. DMK organisational secretary, R S Bharathi, said the two allies had planned their public meeting well in advance and couldn’t alter it at the last minute to hold a joint meeting. However, the two would campaign together shortly, he said.A senior Congress functionary said Rahul has planned to visit TN after April 10.