After the BJP, DMK chief M Karunanidhi and four-party People's Welfare Front today wooed DMDK founder leader Vijayakanth to join their respective fronts to fight the Tamil Nadu Assembly elections, due early next year.
Karunanidhi told reporters here that "our desire is that, when we sew up the alliance, Vijayakanth too should be part of it. We do not know what is in his mind."
Asked if this could be construed as an invite, he said, "What I have said now is an invitation (to him)."
Vijayakanth, Leader of the Opposition in the Tamil Nadu Assembly, is now the most sought after by other Opposition parties as state Assembly election is slated to be held in May next year.
Earlier in the day, PWF leaders Vaiko (MDMK), G Ramakrishnan (CPI-M), R Mutharasan (CPI) and Thirumavalavan (VCK) called on Vijayakanth at his office.
While the DMDK chose to describe the visit as "a courtesy call," an MDMK press release said, "An invite was extended to Vijayakanth to join the PWF."
MDMK also said the political situation in Tamil Nadu was discussed.
Recently, BJP Tamil Nadu unit chief Tamilisai Soundararajan and Union Minister Pon Radhakrishnan called on Vijayakanth. Although the party called it a "courtesy call," it was perceived as another attempt by the saffron party to bring back DMDK into its fold.
Asked about the initiatives of DMK and PWF, Soundararajan said such things were routine and could not be taken as "conclusive", adding "one meeting or an invitation will not decide matters."
"We strongly hope that he (Vijayakanth) will be part of the BJP-led alliance in the next year's Assembly elections as well," she told PTI.
BJP senior leader Subramanian Swamy had met Vijayakanth in September.
After fighting last year's Parliamentary elections with BJP, Vijaykanth later snapped ties with it.
