Congress extends support to Vijay to form govt in Tamil Nadu | Chennai News
CHENNAI: The Congress has offered conditional support to TVK president C Joseph Vijay who is 10 seats short in the 234-member Tamil Nadu assembly to form the govt and has reached out to multiple parties in both alliances.The five Congress MLAs will offer support through a letter tomorrow on condition that TVK does not induct communal forces from NDA into his alliance, said a senior Congress leader. The decision followed a late night video call with Congress seniors, MPs and MLAs from TN hosted by AICC leader Girish Chodankar at which “95% favoured a tie-up with TVK”.Earlier in the day, new AIADMK MLA Leema Rose Martin said TVK is in touch with her party, but another AIADMK leader later ruled out supporting TVK. The tally of TVK, which won 108 seats, will drop to 107 after Vijay resigns the Trichy East seat on Wednesday. Then, in the 233-member assembly, he needs the support of 117 MLAs. Sources said TVK intermediaries have reached out to VCK chief Thol Thirumavalavan and PMK leader Anbumani Ramadoss, besides Congress. VCK has two seats and PMK four.AICC general secretary K C Venugopal said in Delhi that the verdict in TN is for a secular govt. “INC is determined not to have BJP and its proxies to run the govt in any manner … Congress leadership has directed TNCC to take a final decision on Vijay’s request keeping in view the sentiments of the state reflected in the electoral verdict,” he said.‘Secular forces must unite to protect TN from RSS’Thol Thirumavalavan-led VCK, the third recognized party in the DMK alliance,is watching the developments cautiously.AIADMK is also assessing its options. Leaders close to Edappadi K Palaniswami said that Vijay would struggle to run a stable govt with support only from DMK allies and would need a more secure arrangement that could function “without fear of BJP pressure.” “BJP concurrence is a must for any AIADMK tie-up with the actor,” said a leader. There is also speculation within a section of BJP that the party could back Vijay by engineering a split in AIADMK. BJP won just one seat, down from four in the previous election.Congress MP Manickam Tagore said the state again rejected the NDA and it was the duty of the secular forces to stop any manipulation of the verdict. “Secular forces must come together to protect Tamil Nadu from RSS proxies and from hate politics. Hope all egos are left behind to protect Tamil Nadu,” he posted.
