Chennai, Sep 9 (IANS) The political parties supporting the Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK)-led Tamil Nadu government have formally named their coalition the “Secular Social Justice Victory Alliance” and chosen Chief Minister C. Joseph Vijay as its leader.
The decision was taken at the second round of consultations among the alliance partners, held at the TVK headquarters in Panaiyur near Chennai on Wednesday.
The meeting, chaired by CM Vijay, began at 4 p.m. and continued for nearly 90 minutes.
TVK emerged as the single largest party in the recently concluded Assembly election after winning 108 seats.
Although it fell short of the majority required to form the government on its own, the TVK secured the backing of several constituents of the former DMK-led alliance, including the Congress, Viduthalai Chiruthaigal Katchi (VCK), Indian Union Muslim League (IUML) and the two Communist parties (Communist Party of India and the Communist Party of India-Marxist).
VCK and the IUML subsequently joined the Vijay-led Ministry, while the Communist Party of India and the Communist Party of India-Marxist decided to support the TVK government from outside.
Efforts to give a formal structure and identity to the TVK-led coalition began with its first consultative meeting at a private hotel in Chennai’s Kovalam on July 1.
Representatives of the Congress, VCK, MDMK and IUML attended that meeting.
The CPI and CPI(M), which are extending outside support, stayed away.
Senior TVK functionaries and Ministers Anand, Aadhav Arjuna and Nirmal Kumar personally invited all the supporting parties to the second meeting held on Wednesday.
However, the CPI and CPI-M had announced in advance that they would boycott the deliberations.
Among those present were Congress leaders Manickam Tagore, MP Praveen Chakravarty and Congress Legislature Party leader and MP Tharahai Cuthbert.
MDMK General Secretary Vaiko and MP Durai Vaiko also participated.
IUML National President K.M. Kader Mohideen and Minister Shahjahan represented their party.
VCK President and MP Thol. Thirumavalavan Ravikumar and MP Sinthanai Selvan were also among the participants.
The formal naming is expected to strengthen coordination among the parties supporting the TVK-led coalition government.
Participants discussed mechanisms for consultation and cooperation as the alliance seeks to project a common political platform centred on secularism, social justice and governance under CM Vijay’s leadership.
The name is also intended to reflect the ideological priorities shared by its constituents and provide the coalition with a distinct identity during future elections and public campaigns across Tamil Nadu.
–IANS
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