Demand for power sharing in State govt. not an attack on the alliance, says Aadhav

A day after facing criticism from his own party leaders and sections of the DMK, VCK deputy general secretary Aadhav Arjuna on Tuesday questioned if the State had become a monarchy where he could not even express his views.

The demand for power sharing in the State government should not be seen as an attack on the [DMK] alliance, he said, adding that his statements on power-sharing had already been expressed for many years by the party chief, Thol. Thirumavalavan.

“I am only concerned about the VCK’s future. I am only reflecting the mindset of the party cadre. Political parties’ refusal to share power with the VCK only shows their caste mindset. My assessment is that both the parties [the DMK and the AIADMK] would be unable to get a majority on their own without the VCK, and other allies. What is wrong in saying this?” he asked.

‘Enthusing cadre’

He further pointed out that the DMK leaders had recently spoken about winning 200 seats in the 2026 Tamil Nadu Assembly election. “Does this mean they are belittling their allies, by stating they can win without them? They are making such statements to enthuse their party cadre. I want to prepare my cadre for the 2026 election...There are seniors in the party who have worked for 30 years, and still continue to only submit petitions to Ministers. When will they wield power?” he questioned.

‘Collective victory’

Meanwhile, senior VCK leader Vanni Arasu, has said the VCK joined the DMK alliance to defeat the BJP, the RSS and the Sangh Parivar organisations. “Thalaivar [Mr. Thirumavalavan] formed this alliance to achieve this common goal though we were given just six seats by the DMK [in 2021]. Moreover, if the VCK has won seats, it is not just because of the DMK, but also due to the MDMK, the Left parties, the Congress, and the [Tamizhaga Vaazhvurimai Katchi] TVK. It is a collective victory. Our goal is to bring our party to power, but the party does not agree with the criticism levelled against Minister Udhayanidhi Stalin. We are a part of the DMK front, and will continue to be in it for the 2026 [Assembly election],...our Thalaivar has made that clear,” he added.

He, however, said there was no change in the VCK’s stand on sharing power in the State.

Published - September 25, 2024 12:44 am IST