Chennai: In less than 24 hours, chief minister C Joseph Vijay did a deft balancing act, hosting Congress leader Rahul Gandhi at his residence and sharing a metro ride with Prime Minister Narendra Modi.While his meeting with Rahul reinforced TVK’s partnership with Congress, his engagement with Modi signalled Vijay’s willingness to maintain a working relationship with the Union govt.After the metro ride, he accompanied Modi to the temple on IIT campus before sharing the stage with him at the event.While requesting the PM to sanction projects and funds, he also made it a point to thank him for announcing high-speed rail networks connecting Chennai with Hyderabad and Bengaluru in the Union budget.“If the state and Union govts work together, it will reflect in the welfare of the people,” Vijay said at the event.After a day-long engagements, Vijay also went to the airport to see off Modi.This is in sharp contrast to the past when Rahul would receive a rousing reception by DMK on his visits to Tamil Nadu, while Modi would be greeted with ‘Go Back’ slogans.“He was very cordial with the PM. This is what people of Tamil Nadu want and this is what would help the state grow,” said BJP spokesperson Narayanan Tirupathy.If Vijay’s lunch with Rahul dispelled speculations of discontent among a section of Congress due to TVK leaders pitching him as PM candidate, the Modi meeting reinforced Vijay’s conciliatory approach towards the Union govt. TVK functionaries said this would remain Vijay’s approach in the days ahead.This was the first time Modi and Vijay shared a stage. It was also Vijay’s first meeting with Rahul since TVK joined the INDIA bloc.Leaders of Congress and BJP welcomed Vijay’s approach, but said it was not a balancing act. Instead, they said, he has drawn a clear distinction between the two leaders.“Vijay met Rahul as a political leader, whereas he met PM Modi in his capacity as a CM,” said Congress leader A Gopanna. “TVK has an ideological bond with Congress. The two events cannot be compared,” he said.The challenge for Vijay, however, will be to keep both channels open in the long run without compromising the interests of TVK and its allies in TN. Vijay’s silence or muted response to key issues raised by Congress could come under scrutiny if not criticism, political observers said.Gopanna, however, said, “I don’t think Vijay would find this hard. If he has a difference with Modi, he would not hesitate to express it,” he said.
