The Congress on Tuesday claimed that Vijay, chief of Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK), has sought the party's support for government formation in Tamil Nadu, with the leadership directing the state unit to take a final call on the matter.
Top Congress leaders held a meeting at the residence of party president Mallikarjun Kharge on Tuesday evening. Rahul Gandhi and Tamil Nadu in-charge Girish Chodankar were among those present during the discussions.
Final calls with Tamil Nadu unit
Addressing the media after the meeting, Congress general secretary, Organisation, KC Venugopal said the Tamil Nadu unit of the party has been directed to take a final decision keeping in view the sentiments of the state as reflected in the electoral verdict.
"Today we had a meeting to discuss about the Tamil Nadu political situation. Basically, we discussed the post-election scenario in the meeting, which was attended by Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge, Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi, and Tamil Nadu in-charge Girish Chodankar.
"The President of TVK Thiru Vijay has requested the Congress for support to form a government in Tamil Nadu. INC is clear that the mandate in Tamil Nadu is for a secular government committed to protecting the Constitution in letter and spirit," he said.
Congress determined not to have BJP and its proxies
Venugopal said the Congress is firm on ensuring that the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and its "proxies" do not find a place in the Tamil Nadu government in any form.
He also noted that Vijay has spoken about drawing inspiration from K Kamaraj, a revered Congress leader and former Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu. "Accordingly, the Congress leadership has directed the TNCC to take a final decision on Thiru Vijay's request, keeping in view the sentiments of the state reflected in the electoral verdict," Venugopal told reporters.
Vijay's TVK has won 108 seats in the 234-member Tamil Nadu Assembly, falling short of the majority mark. The party now requires the support of 10 more MLAs to form the government.
The Congress has secured five seats, while the Pattali Makkal Katchi (PMK) won four. The Communist Party of India and the Communist Party of India (Marxist) have bagged two seats each.
Also Read: Vijay, TVK chief, likely to take oath as Tamil Nadu's new Chief Minister on May 7: Sources
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