CHENNAI: While reaffirming their outside support to the ruling TVK government, the CPI and CPM have decided to skip the alliance meeting convened by Chief Minister and TVK president C Joseph Vijay on Wednesday, saying their participation could be construed as joining the ruling alliance.
However, leaders of both Left parties will meet the Chief Minister at the Secretariat on Wednesday morning, ahead of the alliance meeting, to submit a memorandum on labour welfare and other issues.
TVK allies Congress, VCK, IUML and MDMK are set to attend the meeting and lunch hosted by the Chief Minister.
Ahead of the meeting, senior TVK ministers N Anand and Aadhav Arjuna called on CPI state secretary M Veerapandian and CPM state secretary P Shanmugam at their respective party offices to extend invitations.
Sources said the Left parties conveyed their inability to attend the alliance meeting, maintaining that their presence could create the impression that they had become part of the ruling coalition.
“We cannot participate as it is an alliance parties’ meeting. However, we will meet the Chief Minister at the Secretariat on Wednesday morning to place some demands, including issues concerning workers,” Veerapandian said.
Shanmugam reiterated that the Left parties would continue extending outside support to the TVK government but would not become part of the ruling alliance.
On Tuesday evening, ministers Anand and Arjuna, along with TVK election strategist John John Arokiasamy, met newly appointed TNCC president B Manickam Tagore at Sathyamurthy Bhavan to invite the Congress to the meeting.
Tagore welcomed the initiative, saying it was a positive move by the Chief Minister to bring like-minded parties together.
VCK president Thol Thirumavalavan also confirmed that he, along with the party’s MLAs and MPs, would participate in the meeting. He reiterated the VCK’s support to the government.