CHENNAI: After maintaining that its support for Chief Minister C Joseph Vijay-led government was only from the outside to ward off interventions by the BJP’s Union government, VCK president Thol Thirumavalavan said on Wednesday that the party would discuss TVK’s renewed invitation to join the State Cabinet.
The comments came at a time there are reports that the party would be allotted a ministerial post.
Speaking to the media, Thirumavalavan added that the TVK leadership has informed him that rebel AIADMK MLAs would not be accommodated in the Cabinet. Earlier, he had said that the VCK would reconsider its support to the government if AIADMK dissidents were inducted into the Cabinet.
He also thanked Minister Aadhav Arjuna for publicly reiterating the TVK’s desire that the VCK should be part of the government.
The VCK had held its high-level committee meeting virtually on May 8, during which a majority of senior leaders favoured joining the government. Share in power has long been the VCK’s demand, though it was not in a position to press hard for it from its ally, the DMK, as the party had simple majority.
Thirumavalavan said the party had, after consultations with its two general secretaries on May 9, decided to extend unconditional support to the TVK government solely for the purpose of government formation.
He recalled TVK president Vijay’s open invitation to the VCK to join hands during the function to release the book, “Ellorukkumana Thalaivar Ambedkar”. He said the VCK had viewed the comment as a clear political invitation, though circumstances were not conducive for the party to become part of the TVK alliance during the elections.
“We did not insist on ministerial berths as a condition for extending support. We offered unconditional support despite having won only two seats in the DMK-led alliance,” he said.
Stating that participation in governance was also part of its political ideology, Thirumavalavan said his party extended support, without any preconditions, despite the TVK requiring the support of two MLAs.
The TVK has not openly invited both the VCK and the Indian Union Muslim League to join the Cabinet, he noted. “In such a situation, we will hold consultations with our senior office-bearers,” he said, adding that discussions would be held with the party’s general secretaries, treasurer and principal secretary before a final decision is taken.