Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam chief MK Stalin on Saturday claimed that his party allowed alliance partners in the state to support actor-politician Vijay’s Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam with the “sole intention of preventing the imposition of President's rule in the state,” PTI reported.
The former chief minister said he had not opposed the decision of the alliance parties to back the TVK because he believed the imposition of President’s Rule “could have paved the way for BJP (Bharatiya Janata Party) rule” in the state.
“But soon, we must take a pledge to bring down the TVK government,” The Hindu quoted him as further saying.
Speaking at an event in Chennai where he welcomed former All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam members into the DMK, Stalin said leaders of the alliance parties had informed him before extending support to the TVK after the Assembly election results.
He said he told them: “You may go, it is your choice and your democratic right; I will not stop you.”
He added that the current government was “in a way, being sustained by our support because our former alliance partners are backing it,” The Hindu reported.
While the Vijay-led TVK emerged as the single-largest party in the Tamil Nadu Assembly elections, it had fallen short of the majority mark by 10 seats. It formed the government with the support of the Congress, the Communist Party of India and the Communist Party of India (Marxist), the Viduthalai Chiruthaigal Katchi and the Indian Union Muslim League.
Congress informed DMK before backing TVK: Chidambaram
Congress leader P Chidambaram said on Saturday that the party had informed the DMK leadership before extending support to the TVK after the Assembly election results, Puthiyathalaimurai News reported.
“We want to prevent another election if TVK failed to secure majority in the House,” he said. “This was wider feeling among alliance partners. Even people do not want another elections.”
Chidambaram said that the Congress had informed all alliance partners, including the CPI, VCK and IUML, of its decision to support the TVK government.
He added that “the only difference is that we have announced the support to TVK one day before allies did”.
Edited by Neerad Pandharipande.
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