Breaking ranks with the DMK, the Congress on Wednesday announced its decision to support Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK) president Vijay in forming a secular government, a move that has predictably enraged its former ally, with the Dravidian major slamming it as an act of ‘betrayal and backstabbing’.
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Breaking ranks with the DMK, the Congress on Wednesday announced its decision to support Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK) president Vijay in forming a secular government, a move that has predictably enraged its former ally, with the Dravidian major slamming it as an act of ‘betrayal and backstabbing’.
With the election results throwing up a hung assembly, the Congress, with five legislators, became the first party to extend support to the TVK, which has emerged as the single largest party with 108 seats in the 234-member House. The speed and alacrity with which the national party has acted signal the teaming up of Vijay with Congress leader Rahul Gandhi.
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“The Tamil Nadu Congress Committee and the Congress Legislature Party (CLP) have decided to extend full support to the TVK to form the government. Our support shall be conditional upon the TVK keeping out of this alliance any communal forces that do not believe in the Constitution of India,” AICC in-charge of Tamil Nadu, Girish Chodankar announced in a statement, adding that this followed a formal request from Vijay to the Congress leadership.
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Explaining that the people of Tamil Nadu, especially youth, have delivered a very clear and overwhelming verdict for a secular, progressive and welfarist government, the statement said, “It is our constitutional duty to respect, uphold and help fulfil this mandate.” This marks the end of the more than a decade-long alliance with the DMK, which also puts the future of the INDIA bloc into question.
The Congress, which won five of the 28 seats it contested in the DMK-led alliance, has made it clear that it is a historic duty to support a secular government in Tamil Nadu to keep the BJP at bay. But, this is not palatable to the DMK, which has decided to sit in the opposition, accepting the people’s mandate.
Reacting to the development, DMK spokesperson Saravanan Annadurai fumed that this is nothing but ‘backstabbing and betrayal’ by the Congress. “It was the sweat and blood of the DMK that had given the victory for the Congress. Even before the ink on the Returning Officer’s signature on the victory certificate could dry up, Congress has rushed to this new alliance. It is nothing but backstabbing and betrayal, not only against us, but against the people of Tamil Nadu,” he said, venting out anger and adding that this would dent the national party’s credibility.
Justifying the Congress’s decision to switch sides, Congress MP Karti Chidambaram explained that the mandate is for change, and it has to be honoured. On the heartburn in the DMK with harsh criticism coming forth, he said, “I would like those who make harsh criticism to look at how post-poll alliances are worked out in European countries. Parties with diametrically opposite policies, who have fought against each other, work out a coalition post-poll. There is nothing unusual about a post-poll alliance.” He also made it clear that the decision to support TVK is unanimous.
Meanwhile, scouting support for the TVK, party general secretary ‘Bussy’ N Anand has walked the extra mile and called on AIADMK general secretary Edappadi K Palaniswami. The AIADMK is unable to take a stand on supporting the TVK government, with one camp pressing to align with Vijay and the other opposing any truck with the TVK. It remains to be seen which way the AIADMK will decide.
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