DMK asks Mamata to inaugurate Karunanidhi statue

New Delhi: The DMK has invited Trinamul Congress supremo Mamata Banerjee to inaugurate a statue of party ideologue M. Karunanidhi in Chennai on his death anniversary on August 7. The move signals the rising political importance of the West Bengal chief minister in the bloc of anti-BJP parties.

DMK sources said the invitations to attend the event were limited to the chief ministers of southern states and that Ms Banerjee was the only exception.

On December 17 last year, another statue of Karunanidhi had been inaugurated by UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi and the event was attended by a host of senior Opposition leaders, setting the stage for a joint strategy for the Lok Sabha polls.

Significantly, the DMK is part of the UPA and had a pre-poll alliance with the Congress in Tamil Nadu. However, after the Lok Sabha results, the spectre of Opposition unity has suffered a setback and the invitation to Ms Banerjee was a politically significant move.

DMK sources said the invitation was handed over to the Trinamul Congress chief by DMK leader Tiruchi Siva, and Ms Banerjee had accepted it.

While the Trinamul Congress suffered significant losses in the recent Lok Sabha polls, it is still considered to be a pivotal part of the Opposition and Ms Banerjee as leader of any Opposition alliance.