C Joseph Vijay
CHENNAI: The Tamil Nadu chief minister C Joseph Vijay-led TVK on Saturday formalised its entry into INDIA bloc, with two of its ministers attending a meeting of the alliance at the Congress headquarters, Sathyamurthy Bhavan, in Chennai.
The Chennai demonstration on Oct 15 will bring together TVK, Congress, VCK, CPI, CPM, IUML, MDMK and CPI (ML).
“TVK has joined INDIA bloc,” TNCC president Manickam Tagore said, describing it as a “very historic day” for the alliance. He said the meeting adopted a resolution welcoming Vijay’s decision. Aadhav said TVK’s participation is a formal declaration of it being was part of the alliance. MDMK leader Vaiko said Vijay should attend the protest. Asked whether TVK would attend a national-level meeting of the INDIA bloc, Vaiko said Saturday’s participation was only the “first step” and that the party would take part in future meetings of INDIA bloc.
TVK general secretary (election management) and minister Aadhav Arjuna and finance minister Marie Wilson represented the party at the two-hour meeting. DMK had exited INDIA after Congress joined the TVK-led govt after the TN assembly elections this year. The alliance decided to hold district-level demonstrations against chief election commissioner Gyanesh Kumar over the special intensive revision of electoral rolls. Tagore described Vijay as a popular leader committed to democracy and secularism and TVK’s induction would strengthen the alliance.