CHENNAI: A day after setting an ultimatum to the DMK, Tamizhaga Vazhvurimai Katchi (TaVK) president T Velmurugan on Sunday announced that his party would exit the DMK-led Secular Progressive Alliance (SPA) ahead of the Assembly elections, citing differences over seat-sharing and the ruling party’s refusal to act on key demands.
Declaring the decision after consultations within the party, Velmurugan said the TaVK’s executive council, general council and district secretaries had unanimously resolved to quit the alliance.
“We were offered only one seat during talks at Anna Arivalayam. We made it clear we would not accept that and sought additional constituencies. Our demand for three seats was rejected,” he told reporters here.
He said the party had also placed a 10-point charter focused on public welfare before Chief Minister MK Stalin, but alleged that the government did not show even minimal consideration. “When other allies were not placing demands, we were questioned for doing so. Our issues were ignored, and the party has been sidelined,” he said.
Velmurugan, MLA from Panruti, thanked the Chief Minister for the opportunity to serve in the Assembly, but said the TaVK could not continue in an alliance where its concerns were not addressed. “We are quitting the DMK-led front. We will consult our cadre, Tamil nationalist organisations and like-minded groups before deciding the next course,” he said.
Ruling out any possibility of joining the NDA, he added, “We will not be part of the AIADMK-led alliance. We will face the elections under TaVK leadership,” while indicating that talks were on with other political formations.
The TaVK’s exit is expected to ease seat-sharing pressures within the SPA, particularly for the CPI(M), which has been seeking an additional constituency.