The meeting, chaired by TVK founder and Chief Minister C Joseph Vijay, was attended by leaders of key alliance partners, including the Congress, Viduthalai Chiruthaigal Katchi (VCK), Marumalarchi Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (MDMK) and Indian Union Muslim League (IUML).
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The meeting was convened to formalise the structure and functioning of the ruling alliance, with discussions centred on its official name, a Common Minimum Programme and the proposed formation of a steering committee.
Visuals from the meeting showed TVK chief Vijay dressed in a golden kurta and veshti, giving a thumbs-up, while the logos of alliance partners were displayed on a screen behind him.
Left parties stay out of alliance meeting
The absence of the Left parties, however, was notable. Both the Communist Party of India (CPI) and the Communist Party of India (Marxist) (CPI-M) skipped the meeting at the TVK headquarters.
The Left parties had earlier indicated that they would retain their independent political position while extending issue-based support to the TVK government.CPI(M) state secretary P Shanmugam had said the party’s support was aimed at ensuring the government’s stability. He had also indicated that the party did not want to become part of a formal alliance structure without cabinet berths.
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TVK-Congress differences over 2029 positioning
The coordination meeting comes against the backdrop of differences within the ruling bloc over its political positioning ahead of the 2029 Lok Sabha elections, particularly between TVK and Congress over the Prime Ministerial candidate.
TVK PWD Minister Aadhav Arjuna had earlier said that the country’s top constitutional office should be held by a leader from Tamil Nadu.
The issue also triggered comments from Tamil Nadu Tourism Minister S Rajesh Kumar, who said Congress ministers would resign if TVK did not support Rahul Gandhi as the Prime Ministerial candidate for the 2029 Lok Sabha elections.
Tamil Nadu Minister Rajmohan later clarified that the statement was not an official announcement and had been made “out of affection”.
The naming of the bloc as the Secular Social Justice Victory Alliance and the push to formalise its organisational structure come as the TVK-led government seeks to consolidate its coalition while navigating differences among its constituent parties.
(With inputs from ANI)
