Chennai, July 1:
Nailing the main Opposition DMK’s narrative that it had not attempted to prop up a government with its arch rival AIADMK General Secretary Edappadi K Palaniswami (EPS) as Chief Minister to prevent the ascension of Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK) of Joseph Vijay, Indian Union Muslim League (IUML) National President Khader Mohideen on Tuesday disclosed that DMK President Stalin himself had broached the subject and sought support.
This is the first time Stalin’s involvement in the operation to stymie Vijay from becoming Chief Minister has been revealed, that too by a long-standing former ally of the DMK.
The IUML, which had contested the Assembly elections as part of the DMK-led alliance, jumped ship, offered support and later joined the TVK government.
“When the TVK was pressing for our support to form the government, along with Abubacker (IUML State General Secretary), I met Stalin. Only the other day, Stalin had issued a statement urging the Government to invite the single largest party to form the government, which was correct. We asked him about the future course of action, but he informed us that the DMK was in talks on teaming up with the AIADMK to form a government with EPS as the Chief Minister. I couldn’t believe it and asked Abubacker about what Stalin was telling us,” Prof Mohideen told a private TV channel.
“Later, after coming out, I again asked Abubacker, and he affirmed it,” he said, adding, “how can we allow BJP to indirectly govern the state (as BJP is an ally of the AIADMK)”.
“Then, the next day also, we met Stalin since the situation remained chaotic and pressure was mounting for us to support the TVK. Stalin told us about a new proposal to make VCK President Thol Thirumavalavan, MP, Chief Minister. I asked him how it could be since Thirumavalan is not even an MLA. But Stalin said that he could be made a legislator within six months,” he recalled.
The DMK has thus far dismissed the charge of trying to form a government with the AIADMK as a wild rumour with no basis. This revelation comes ahead of Chief Minister and TVK President Vijay holding a first-ever meeting with leaders of all the parties supporting the government on Wednesday. Both the Left parties, extending outside support, and the VCK and IUML, which are constituents of the government, have been invited. The MDMK of Vaiko, which has walked out of the DMK-led front, has also been invited, and the meet is expected to infuse greater coordination and give formal shape to the TVK-led alliance with the new nomenclature.
Earlier, rebel AIADMK strongman C Ve Shanmugam, leaders like CPI(M) general secretary MA Baby, state secretary P Shanmugam, his CPI counterpart M Veerapandiyan and VCK’s Thirumavalavan have talked about the DMK and AIADMK burying the hatchet and attempting to form a government with the sole purpose of denying Vijay a shot at power.
But this is the first time Stalin has been named as personally involved in that unsuccessful operation, as the Allies vetoed it.