India, July 12 -- The DMK has overtly rejected a mediation push by its former ally VCK to bring Tamil Nadu Chief Minister C Joseph Vijay's TVK together under the INDIA bloc umbrella at the national level. This comes at a time when the DMK continues to walk a tightrope - castigating the bloc leader Congress over "backstabbing" it in the state, while also being part of Opposition unity against the BJP at the Centre.

Senior DMK leaders have reportedly told the party VCK, which left the DMK-led alliance to go with Vijay in May like the Congress, to first secure Vijay's own endorsement for a national-level unity idea.

"I don't think the DMK leadership will accept the VCK's proposal. The Kerala and West Bengal model won't work in Tamil Nadu,"...