Chennai, Mar 26:
Viduthalai Chiruthaigal Katchi (VCK) president Thol Thirumavalavan has appealed to DMK president MK Stalin to ensure that Makkal Needhi Maiam (MNM) actively contests the upcoming Tamil Nadu Assembly elections as part of the DMK-led Secular Progressive Alliance (SPA), rather than merely offering support.
In a statement on Wednesday, Thirumavalavan expressed concern that MNM’s decision to abstain from contesting could affect the alliance’s cohesion and credibility. He highlighted that MNM leader Kamal Haasan enjoys significant public goodwill and commands an estimated four per cent vote share, which, if leveraged within the alliance, could strengthen its electoral prospects.
Thirumavalavan underlined that a party’s contribution to an alliance should not be judged solely by its vote share, but also by its ideological commitment, leadership credibility, public goodwill, and organisational capacity. He stressed that while seat-sharing often prioritises vote share, ideological participation in the electoral battle against right-wing forces remains critical.
He also emphasised that alliance partners should have the freedom to contest under their own symbols, cautioning that forcing them to use another party’s symbol could undermine their political autonomy.
Calling the upcoming elections a crucial ideological contest, Thirumavalavan urged Stalin to allow MNM to contest on its ‘torch’ symbol, stating that this approach would uphold the spirit of “we will win together” in its entirety.