Chennai, Sep 10: Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK) and its post-poll allies have formally united under the ‘Secular Social Justice Victory Alliance’ (SSJVA), following a high-level meeting in Chennai on Wednesday.
The alliance comprises TVK, Congress, VCK, MDMK and IUML, with TVK president and Tamil Nadu Chief Minister C Joseph Vijay chosen as the front’s leader.
TNCC president B Manickam Tagore said the alliance was built on a broader ideological commitment to secularism, social justice and constitutional values, and described it as part of the INDIA alliance. He also said Vijay would support Rahul Gandhi as the INDIA bloc’s prime ministerial candidate in the 2029 Lok Sabha elections.
MDMK chief Vaiko said the parties had moved from being supporting partners to formal alliance partners, stressing that the front was created with a long-term political vision rather than for a single election or bypoll.
VCK chief Thol Thirumavalavan said the alliance was aimed at protecting constitutional principles, while the partners announced that they would jointly campaign in the upcoming October 6 bypolls.
The alliance has also decided that TVK will contest the Madurantakam (SC) and Dharapuram (SC) bypolls. Former AIADMK MLAs Maragatham Kumaravel and P Sathyabama, who resigned and later joined TVK, are likely to be fielded from the two constituencies.
Meanwhile, the CPI and CPI(M), which extend outside support to the TVK government, have clarified that they will not join the alliance.
