CHENNAI: CPM State secretary P Shanmugam on Friday (June 5) described Congress leader Praveen Chakravarty's reference to a "Tamil Nadu Social Justice Progressive Alliance" comprising TVK, Congress, VCK, IUML, CPI and CPM as an act of "overzealousness", asserting that the CPM had neither been consulted on the formation of such an alliance nor approached for support to his Rajya Sabha candidature.
The remarks came in response to a post by Chakravarty on X on Thursday night in which he said he considered it both a matter of pride and a great responsibility to have been chosen as the first Rajya Sabha candidate of the alliance. He thanked Leader of the Opposition Rahul Gandhi and Chief Minister and TVK president Vijay for reposing faith in him and pledged that, if elected, he would be a courageous, loyal and honest voice for the people of Tamil Nadu in Parliament.
Responding to the post, Shanmugam said it was incorrect to mention the CPM as part of any such alliance.
"No one has approached or consulted us either regarding the formation of an alliance or seeking support for this candidate," he said in a post on X.
The CPM leader further noted that the party had already made its position clear on the basis of which it had extended support to TVK forming the government and that such support should not be construed as participation in a new political alliance.
Shanmugam's remarks assume significance amid continuing political discussions over possible opposition realignments following the 2026 Assembly election, which saw TVK form the government with the support of parties that had been aligned with the DMK, ending the decades-long dominance of the DMK-AIADMK bipolar political contest in the State.