Differences have emerged between the People’s Welfare Front leadership of MDMK and left parties, and the VCK over participation in an all-party meeting on the Cauvery issue convened by DMK leader M K Stalin at Anna Arivalayam on Tuesday.

According to The Times of India, the DMK initiative “to protect TN interests“ in the interstate water dispute is seen as a political stunt by rivals as the polls of three constituencies are nearing.

When PWF coordinator Vaiko made an announcement on Saturday about the constituents turning down DMK's invite, VCK said it was unaware about it. VCK leader Thol Thirumavalavan called for a meeting with his state office bearers on Monday purportedly to decide on the party's representation in the DMK meet.

VCK sources said the consensus to boycott the DMK meet was not arrived at during discussions when PWF leaders visited the national capital last week to submit a memorandum to President Pranab Mukherjee seeking his intervention in the Cauvery dispute.

MDMK, CPM and CPI rejected the idea of going to the all-party meet, but VCK has not made its stand clear.

VCK is a former ally of DMK, but later became a part of the PWF last year, after batting for a coalition government.

But within the VCK, functionaries are equally divided on whether or not to attend the meet. Vaiko’s announcement seems to have not gone down well with the leadership of VCK, which wants to attend any meeting arranged to discuss the core issues of the State irrespective of the party or organisation that gives the call.

The decision to boycott the polls to three assembly constituencies too was taken without a consensus among PWA constituents, sources told The New Indian Express.

In fact, it was Thirumavalavan who independently announced that PWA would not contest the polls even before the alliance sat for a discussion.

If VCK decides to attend the meet, the PWF is likely to be in a soup, with strong cracks emerging from within the combine.