The Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK) on Wednesday clarified its position on inclusion of AIADMK rebel leaders into the Vijay-led Cabinet. This came a day after Tamil Nadu CPI(M) Secretary P Shanmugam issued a stark warning, saying his party would reconsider the decision to support the TVK if AIADMK defectors are made to join the government.
Clarifying the party’s stand, Tamil Nadu Minister Aadhav Arjuna said AIADMK MLAs will not be accommodated in the cabinet and reports in this regard were merely speculations.
On being asked about the fate of the alliance, Arjuna said the TVK-led coalition was intact and CM Vijay would soon hold Cabinet expansion. He also rebuked the DMK for allegedly trying to forge an alliance with AIADMK to form the government in Tamil Nadu.
"CM wants the cabinet to function like one family. He wants the parties that extended support to be represented in the cabinet…DMK and AIADMK attempted to form an alliance that went against the people’s verdict…During the elections, the DMK said that the AIADMK was under the control of the BJP, but later forgot its own ideology and held alliance talks with the AIADMK. Congress and the Left parties united on one front to protect the constitutional system," he said.
Shanmugam’s warning to Vijay on AIADMK
Shanmugam on Tuesday said that the CPI(M) and VCK had jointly decided to reconsider their alliance with TVK if AIADMK rebels were inducted into the Cabinet. He further said that they had extended outside support to Vijay’s government, and that the VCK was free to decide independently on whether to join the government.
"We have already made it clear that if the AIADMK joins the Tamil Nadu cabinet, we will reconsider our decision to give support to the state government. There has been no change in that position," he said.
On Minister Aadhav Arjuna’s invitation to TVK to join the government, he said, "We, the Left parties and the VCK, had jointly decided to extend outside support. It is not necessary for the VCK to take exactly the same stand as the Left parties. If VCK feels that an opportunity has arisen and wants to make use of it, there is nothing wrong with that."
