The visit reflects Mr Modi's design to further marginalise the Congress, held solely responsible for causing a wash-out of monsoon session, by enlisting support from other parties, notably the AIADMK with its 37 members in Lok Sabha and 11 in Rajya Sabha.

The Modi Government has found itself in desperate straits on reform front overall and the anxiety is at least to get the GST bill through in this session. That explained Prime Minister Modi reaching out to Ms. Jayalalithaa, who has not been well, at her residence, though the personal equation between them is wellknown.

In their 50-minute meeting followed by her lunch for PM, they discussed the political situation and Centre-state issues. The Chief Minister effectively put her own case, with its political overtones in the run-up to May 2016 Assembly elections.

Mr. Modi apparently tried to persuade the AIADMK leader to support GST - hitherto resisted by her as Tamil Nadu would lose revenue heavily - and reportedly assured her that ways would be found to address such concerns. He also indicated need for both sides to react positively to each other.

For her part, Ms. Jayalalithaa presented Mr Modi with a 21-page memorandum listing the state's demands, some long-standing, in regard to river water, power, metro rail and other projects which were earlier Centrally-sponsored. She urged the early constitution of Cauvery Management Board and Regulation Committee for implementation of the Cauvery Tribunal's final award on sharing of waters between Karnataka and Tamil Nadu.

Her wish list included Centre addressing the State's concerns on safeguarding TN fishermen's rights and reiterated the call for abrogation of agreement with Sri Lanka of the 1970s in order to retrieve Katchathivu isle and restore traditional fishing rights of Tamil Nadu.

In a way, she was again putting herself ahead as the doughty figher for state's interests in the context of firming of poll rhetoric by parties.

The political scene in Tamil Nadu, where BJP is projecting itself in a big way this time, is still in ferment, getting hotter by the day, with its plethora of parties, big and small, making big promises and staging protests in the run-up to the forthcoming elections.. Apart from corruption, a common theme to fight against, most of the parties have also joined a chorus for total prohibition with immediate effect.

The Modi visit prima facie strengthens the image of Ms. Jayalalithaa, though even the state BJP leaders have been critical of her Government. BJP has also joined the call for prohibition though distancing itself from protest demonstrations and hartals. Violent incidents, designed to embarrass the ruling party, have been reported from several places with political workers inciting people to damage wine shops.

The AIADMK Government has not officially reacted to the ongoing agitation. But it is widely acknowledged that any decision to re-introduce prohibition after several decades would have to be a gradual process, given the adverse impact on state finances. Tamil Nadu earns revenue of the order of over 20,000 crores a year from excise and sales tax.

Given the formidable strength of ruling AIADMK, as of now, the smaller parties are groping for alignments to stand up and fight their way for some electoral gains. The other Dravidian major, DMK led by Mr Karunanidhi, and the BJP with a good deal of groundwork done, will be among major contenders and trying to lead alliances.

State BJP leaders' campaign rests on denouncing both DMK and AIADMK for their 'corrupt regimes'. With the party keenly looking for major political space in Tamil Nadu, its President Mr Amit Shah, has urged youth to fight against corruption. At the level of Modi Government, the contacts with Ms. Jayalalithaa so far have been mainly for seeking her support in Parliament for its legislative programme and for cordial working relationship, which would help reduce effectiveness of opposition.

Neither DMK nor BJP are confident of overturning the present dispensation. Mr Karunanidhi's strong advocacy of immediate prohibition, if necessary through an ordinance, is mocked at for the DMK Government's flip-flops on this issue and finally lifting prohibition. That was to tide over a financial crisis, he claimed. And now he demands an ordinance by the state government to enforce prohibition.

Mr M K Stalin, DMK Treasurer, and the party's aspirant for leadership of an alliance, if it materialises, is visiting all the 234 constituencies. Among the state-level parties, PMK of Dr Ramadoss would be averse to any alliance with DMK or AIADMK and its President Mr Anbumani Ramadoss has been named the candidate for Chief Minister. The stronger opposition party, DMDK of Captain Vijay Kant, is yet to make its campaign moves and biding time. All former allies of BJP (PMK, DMDK and Vaiko's MDMK) have ruled themselves out of BJP-led alliance.

For the Congress, opposed to both AIADMK and the Modi Government, it will be a tough challenge to fight alone, having been part of a Dravidian Party alliance over decades since 1967. Riven by factions all along, the Congress has not built a cadre strength equivalent to Dravidian parties.

Former Finance Minister Mr P Chidambaram said Mr Modi's visit was mainly intended to meet Ms. Jayalalithaa under cover of launching a National Handloom Day. In an address to Congressmen, Mr Chidambaram said Mr Modi was going about like a 'soothsayer' and his 'achhe din' was nowhere in sight. The ruling party at the Centre was adept in announcing schemes of the models UPA had introduced earlier.

Mr Chidambaram said there had been no major investment in any part of the country in the 14 months of Modi rule. But he cautioned that unless the Congress in Tamil Nadu mobilised its cadres, it would find it too difficult to win elections. (IPA Service)