VCK draws red line on PMK's Cabinet entry

CHENNAI: VCK deputy general secretary and Social Justice Minister Vanni Arasu on Sunday warned that he would quit the TVK-led alliance and the ministry if the PMK or the BJP joined the alliance, as party president Thol Thirumavalavan asserted that the VCK’s contribution to the alliance’s victories in the Madurantakam and Dharapuram Assembly bypolls could not be overlooked.

The twin statements underline the VCK’s insistence on maintaining its political identity and opposing caste-based and communal politics, even as questions emerge over the composition of the TVK-led alliance and the factors behind its recent electoral victories.

Addressing a party conference in Tindivanam, Vanni Arasu said the VCK would walk out of the alliance if either the PMK or the BJP became a partner. He maintained that ministerial positions were not important to him and that his allegiance to the VCK and Thirumavalavan took precedence over his post.

Responding to questions about the possibility of the PMK joining the alliance, Vanni Arasu said he had been answering similar queries for the past 10 years. He reiterated that the VCK had no intention of sharing power with either the PMK or the BJP.

“Power is not important to us. What matters is our leader, the VCK and our struggle,” he said, adding that he would follow Thirumavalavan’s directions as a party cadre.

Separately, Thirumavalavan rejected suggestions that the TVK-led alliance’s victories in the Madurantakam and Dharapuram bypolls could be attributed entirely to a transfer of PMK votes. Speaking to reporters at the VCK office in Ashok Nagar, Chennai, he said such claims understated his party’s contribution to the victories.

The PMK had decided not to back any contestant in the two constituencies. Questioning the assumption that its entire support base had voted for the TVK-led alliance, Thirumavalavan said the electoral outcome needed to be assessed in the context of changes in other parties' vote shares.

He identified the substantial erosion of the AIADMK’s vote bank as a significant factor distinguishing the bypoll results from those of the general election. The AIADMK had won both seats in the general election but suffered a setback in the bypolls, he noted.

Thirumavalavan suggested that voters might have been influenced by concerns that candidates elected on AIADMK tickets could subsequently change their political allegiance. Voters might have questioned the value of supporting the party again if its successful candidates were likely to switch sides, he said, while stressing the need for a detailed assessment before drawing conclusions about the reasons for the decline.

He also questioned whether a complete transfer of PMK votes could explain the alliance’s victories, pointing to the need to examine the voting patterns and margins in the two constituencies. Attributing the outcome solely to PMK support, he maintained, would fail to account for the VCK’s role.

On the broader political landscape, Thirumavalavan called for the DMK to join hands with the INDIA bloc to oppose the BJP, reiterating the need for political cooperation against the saffron party.

The statements reflect the VCK’s effort to assert its place within the TVK-led alliance while drawing a clear boundary against potential partners it considers incompatible with its political position.