Ally trouble for TVK? Left parties to skip CM Vijay's July 1 meeting
The Left Front, comprising the CPI and the CPI(M), has decided to skip the consultation meeting convened by Tamil Nadu Chief Minister C Joseph Vijay
The Left Front, comprising the CPI and the CPI(M), has decided to skip the consultation meeting convened by Tamil Nadu Chief Minister C Joseph Vijay on July 1, signalling that it does not consider itself a formal ally of the ruling Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK). Sources within the Left Front told India Today that attending the meeting would create the impression that both parties are officially part of the TVK-led alliance. Read Full Story The parties maintained that they had extended support to the Vijay government only to enable it to form the government after it fell short of a majority in the Assembly, and that their backing should not be construed as participation in the ruling coalition.
The development comes amid continuing political realignments in Tamil Nadu after the two-year-old TVK stormed to power, pushing the state's two traditional Dravidian parties — the DMK and the AIADMK — to the second and third positions, respectively. In recent weeks, six AIADMK MLAs have resigned, dealing a major setback to the party. The Marumalarchi Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (MDMK), led by Vaiko, has also quit the DMK-led Secular Progressive Alliance and announced its support for the Vijay government. The Congress, another former constituent of the DMK-led alliance, also severed its long-standing ties with the DMK to join the Vijay government. Weeks later, the Indian Union Muslim League (IUML) also withdrew from the DMK alliance after joining the TVK government.
The ruling TVK has invited several parties for Wednesday's consultation meeting with Chief Minister Vijay, including the Viduthalai Chiruthaigal Katchi (VCK), the MDMK and the IUML, as it seeks to coordinate with parties supporting the government. The meeting also assumes significance amid remarks by DMK president M K Stalin, who recently claimed that the Vijay-led government may not complete its five-year term and urged party workers to remain prepared for the possibility of a snap election. The TVK was able to form the government after securing the support of the Congress, the Left parties, the VCK and the IUML. The Vijay-led party won 108 seats, 10 short of the majority mark of 118.
Notably, all of them had contested the April 23 Assembly elections as constituents of the DMK-led alliance before breaking ranks in the post-poll political realignment. With the Left Front choosing to stay away from the Chief Minister's meeting while reiterating that its support was limited to helping the TVK form the government, the latest development underscores the fluid political equations in Tamil Nadu, even as the ruling party continues its efforts to consolidate support among parties backing the government. Ends
The BriefWire