CHENNAI: The Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK) on Saturday participated in a State-level meeting of the INDIA bloc for the first time, with TVK ministers Aadhav Arjuna and N Marie Wilson representing the party at the meeting held at the Tamil Nadu Congress Committee (TNCC) headquarters, Sathyamurthy Bhavan, in Chennai.
The joining is significant, as Tagore earlier rejected any possibility of a Vijay-led TVK presence in the bloc, claiming the alliance is for parties with MPs, apparently keeping the door open for the DMK at the national level. Their latest development seems to be a reaction to DMK deputy general secretary Kanimozhi meeting non-Congress INDIA bloc leaders, in what is being speculated as the formation of a third force.
The alliance meeting adopted five resolutions, including one formally welcoming TVK and its leader and Chief Minister C Joseph Vijay for coming forward to work with the INDIA bloc. The leaders congratulated Vijay on his decision and said TVK's participation would strengthen the alliance.
The meeting also focused on the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls. The INDIA bloc parties announced a series of protests across Tamil Nadu, alleging that the revision could affect the voting rights of eligible voters.
One resolution condemned the Election Commission and Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar over the SIR exercise and demanded his removal. The parties also alleged that the BJP-led Union government was using the Election Commission to undermine democratic institutions. The alliance made these political allegations in its resolution.
As part of the protest programme, the INDIA bloc decided to organise demonstrations at district headquarters across Tamil Nadu on October 13 and 14. A major demonstration has also been planned in Chennai on October 15, with leaders and cadres of alliance parties expected to participate. TVK is also set to join the Chennai protest.
The alliance appealed to like-minded political parties, voluntary organisations, and civil society groups to join the protests against the SIR exercise.
Speaking to reporters after the meeting, Tagore said the INDIA bloc had welcomed Vijay's decision to work with the alliance and respectfully invited TVK.
Asked about the DMK's absence from the meeting and whether the INDIA bloc had invited the party, Tagore said invitations had been extended to parties opposing the BJP. He added that there was no need to discuss absent parties at the meeting.
Tagore also said TVK's participation in the protests against the Chief Election Commissioner would broaden the campaign.
The development comes after TVK, which formed the government following the 2026 Assembly election, had maintained a distinct political position while also forming the Secular Social Justice Vettri Alliance. Saturday's meeting marked the party's first formal participation in a Tamil Nadu-level INDIA bloc meeting. Aadhav Arjuna described it as a formal declaration of TVK being part of the alliance.
The State-level meeting was chaired by TNCC president Manickam Tagore and attended by leaders of various INDIA bloc parties, including MDMK general secretary Vaiko, CPM state secretary P Shanmugam, CPI state secretary M Veerapandian and VCK president Thol Thirumavalavan.