TN CM Vijay to chair crucial TVK alliance meeting in Chennai today; Left parties to skip

Chennai, Sep 9 (AHN) Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK) will hold the second round of consultations with parties supporting its government on Wednesday, as efforts gather pace to formally establish a new political alliance under the party’s leadership.

The meeting will be chaired by Chief Minister and TVK President Vijay at the party headquarters in Panaiyur, near Chennai, at 4 p.m.

Representatives of the Congress, Viduthalai Chiruthaigal Katchi (VCK), Marumalarchi Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (MDMK) and the Indian Union Muslim League (IUML) are expected to attend.

Senior TVK functionaries and ministers Anand, Aadhav Arjuna and Nirmal Kumar had invited the participating parties to the consultations.

The Communist Party of India and the Communist Party of India (Marxist), which have extended support to the government from outside, have also been invited.

However, both parties are expected to stay away from the meeting because they are not formal constituents of the proposed coalition.

TVK initiated the process of building the new alliance with a preliminary consultation on July 1 at a hotel in Kovalam, Chennai.

The Congress, VCK, MDMK and IUML took part in that meeting and discussed the broad framework for political coordination.

The two Left parties did not attend that round either, citing their position as parties offering only external support.

Wednesday’s meeting is expected to move the process beyond preliminary discussions and give the proposed coalition a formal identity.

Leaders are likely to finalise a name for the alliance and consider an organisational arrangement intended to coordinate its political and administrative activities.

Chief Minister Vijay is expected to be chosen as the leader of the alliance. The participating parties are also likely to discuss the creation of several posts, including those of coordinator and deputy coordinator, and identify leaders for the positions.

The consultations are viewed as an important step towards bringing the parties supporting the TVK government onto a common political platform.

While the Congress, VCK, MDMK and IUML are likely to become formal partners, the stand adopted by the CPI and CPI(M) indicates that the Left parties may continue to maintain a degree of organisational independence while supporting the government from outside.

A formal announcement on the alliance’s name, leadership structure and office-bearers is expected after the meeting. The outcome could shape future coordination among the parties inside and outside the government.

—AHN

aal/rad