Chennai, July 8:
Days after political tensions surfaced over shifting alliances in Tamil Nadu, Thol Thirumavalavan on Tuesday said that a formal alliance led by Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam had not yet been constituted. His remarks drew a sharp response from B Manickam Tagore, who accused him of indulging in “wordplay” after joining the Cabinet.
Speaking after paying tribute to Rettamalai Srinivasan at his memorial in Guindy, Thirumavalavan explained that the Viduthalai Chiruthaigal Katchi had initially extended only outside support to the TVK-led government at the request of Chief Minister C Joseph Vijay, as the alliance lacked sufficient numbers to form the government. He added that parties like the Congress and Left had also supported the government from outside, with the VCK joining the ministry about 10 days later.
Thirumavalavan said that even after joining the government, there had been no official announcement confirming the formation of a TVK-led political alliance. He maintained that the VCK still felt aligned with the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam, especially amid evolving political dynamics in the state. He also pointed to a July 1 meeting convened by the Chief Minister with supporting parties, noting that no final decision had been taken on formalising an alliance.
Responding strongly, Tagore said there was no room for ambiguity in such matters. “Politics is not a television game show,” he remarked, urging Thirumavalavan to avoid confusing statements. He argued that once parties support a government on the Assembly floor and participate in the Cabinet, they move beyond the stage of merely offering outside support.
Tagore further clarified that the Congress, the Indian Union Muslim League, and the VCK were effectively part of the government, while the Left parties continued to extend outside support in line with their political stance—a position the Congress said it respected.