Minister of State in the Prime Minister's Office Vijay Goel on Friday called on Dravida Munnetra Kazhagham M Karunanidhi in Chennai.

The visit comes in the background of differences between the BJP and the DMK, which is part of the ruling National Democratic Alliance at the Centre, in Tamil Nadu.

At present, a controversy is brewing over the Sattankulam assembly by-election. Both parties want to put up candidates against the ruling AIADMK.

However, they have not yet announced their candidates.

The DMK, which is being wooed by the Congress and the Left parties, is expected to announce its decision on contesting the poll on January 20.

Even as the three-member state BJP election committee is scheduled to meet in Tiruchi on Saturday to reach a decision on the issue, the party's national secretary L Ganesan insists the party would contest the Sattankulam seat.

Karunanidhi told newspersons that the talks with Goel centred only around Minister Murasoli Maran's health. The Union industry and commerce minister has been ailing for quite some time and has been hospitalised for three months now.

At present, Divestment Minister Arun Shourie is holding additional charge of the industry and commerce ministry.

With the budget session of Parliament due soon, Karunanidhi wants someone to take over the job full time.

Last week, the DMK chief ruffled feathers in the BJP by criticising the divestment policies of the NDA government at the Centre while praising Maran's stout defence of the labour-incentive approach to globalisation at World Trade Organisation meetings.

Later, Goel told newspersons that the BJP's state unit would soon solve the differences with its estranged alliance partner.

More reports from Tamil Nadu