The Secular Social Justice Victory Alliance (SSJVA) has been revealed as the official name of the ruling bloc in Tamil Nadu between Chief Minister Vijay's Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK) and the Congress, IUML, VCK and the MDMK.
The alliance members are Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK), the Congress, Thol Thirumavalavan's Viduthalai Chiruthaigal Katchi (VCK), Vaiko's Marumalarchi Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (MDMK), and the Indian Union Muslim League (IUML)
The decision to finalise the alliance's name was taken on Wednesday following a meeting of leaders from the bloc at the TVK headquarters in Chennai.
The meeting was held at the TVK headquarters in Panaiyur and was attended by senior representatives of the constituent parties.
From the Congress, the meeting was attended by Manickam Tagore, Tharagai Kathbert and Praveen Chakravarty. VCK was represented by its chief Thol Thirumavalavan along with Vanni Arasu, Ravi Kumar and Sindhanai Selvan.
MDMK leader Vaiko attended the meeting along with Durai Vaiko, while the IUML was represented by K M Kader Mohideen and Shahjahan.
The alliance brings together parties with a focus on secularism and social justice and is expected to play a significant role in the political contest in Tamil Nadu.
Left absent from meeting
Notably absent from the meeting were representatives of the Left parties. Both the CPI(M) and the CPI chose to skip the meeting held in Panaiyur.
The CPI(M) has previously made it clear that its support for a TVK-led government would remain issue-based and from outside the government. The party has preferred to keep its distance from a formal alliance arrangement and has also ruled out seeking cabinet representation.
On Tuesday, CPI(M) leader P Shanmugam clarified that the party's decision to extend issue-based support from outside the government was aimed at ensuring the stability of a TVK-led government in the Assembly.
The party was unwilling to join a formal alliance structure intended to lay the groundwork for future local body and 2029 Lok Sabha electoral arrangements without being offered cabinet representation. The party also wanted to preserve its independent political identity and retain the freedom to criticise the government’s policies on labour, agriculture and other public issues.
Recently, Left leaders met Chief Minister Vijay separately and submitted a memorandum highlighting workers’ grievances, the Cauvery water dispute and concerns related to the state budget.
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