PM, Rahul Gandhi to campaign in TN

Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and Congress general secretary Rahul Gandhi will campaign for the Dravida Munnettra Kazhagam-led Democratic Progressive Alliance in Tamil Nadu for the May 13 Lok Sabha polls.

This will be the first time when the Congress leaders will interact with DMK president and Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M Karunanidhi, after Rahul's reported remarks on May 5 that his party saw DMK's arch rival All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam as one of its post-poll partners.

While Singh will address a public meeting on May 9, Rahul will hold rallies at Sivaganga, where Union Home Minister P Chidambaram is contesting, and in Tiruchirapalli on Friday.

Charubala Tondaiman, a former mayor, is the Congress nominee at Tiruchirapalli.

Congress Legislature Party leader and senior Congress functionary D Sudharshanam told PTI that Singh would share the dais with DMK president and Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M Karunanidhi at Island Grounds, where he was scheduled to attend a joint election meeting with United Progressive Alliance chairperson Sonia Gandhi on May 6.

The meeting was postponed after Karunanidhi was hospitalised due to fever.

Security concerns due to demonstrations by pro-Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam groups may also have been a reason behind postponing the meeting.