Chennai, May 04: Political rivalry between ruling AIADMK and opposition DMK today surfaced at Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee's function at the airport here today with Tamil Nadu chief minister Jayalalithaa staying away, apparently due to her disinclination to share platform with Union Environment Minister and DMK leader T R Baalu. Jayalalithaa and her cabinet colleagues, who received Vajpayee on arrival at the domestic airport, skipped the function, held just a few yards away, where he inaugurated the new international departure module of the international airport here.

Sources said that the Chief Minister, who was the chief guest at the function, might have skipped it because of Baalu's presence who is a member of parliament from south Chennai, where the airport is located.

The Prime Minister did not mention her name in his speech though it figured in his prepared text.

Bureau Report