The Tamil Nadu Congress Committee and the Congress Legislative Party have decided to extend their support to the Tamil Nadu Vetri Kazhagam (TVK) to form the government, All India Congress Committee (AICC) in-charge of the state Girish Chodankar said on Wednesday.
TVK chief C Joseph Vijay has formally asked the Congress to extend its support to form a government in Tamil Nadu, Chodankar said.
“The people of Tamil Nadu have given a very clear, strong and overwhelming verdict on a secular, progressive and welfare government that believes in constitutional principles. They have chosen Tamilaga Vetri Kazhagam led by C Joseph Vijay to form the next government,” he wrote in the party’s manifesto on Wednesday.
“The Indian National Congress is the founding political party for secular, progressive and welfare politics in India. It is our constitutional duty to respect, support and help realize this mandate of the people of Tamil Nadu. Accordingly, the Tamil Nadu Congress Committee and Congress Legislative Party have decided to extend their full support to TVK to form the government.”
He stressed that the Congress Party’s support should be “conditional” on TVK keeping out of this alliance any “communal forces” that do not believe in the Indian Constitution.
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The alliance between TVK and the Tamil Nadu Congress will strive to bring back the glory days of Kamaraj in Tamil Nadu, with a strong commitment to the social justice ideals of rationalist leader Periyar and the constitutional ideals of BR Ambedkar in the coming years and decades, he continued.
“This alliance is founded on mutual respect, appreciation and shared responsibility between the two parties, not only for the formation of this government, but also for future elections to the local body organizations, Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha,” he said.
“Vijay and Congress leader Rahul Gandhi pledged to respect this historic rule for the people of Tamil Nadu with a secular and progressive government, and fulfill the dreams and promises of the people, especially the youth of Tamil Nadu,” he said.
In another development, Chodankar said: “Three-term MLA Rajesh Kumar S was unanimously elected as the leader of the Tamil Nadu Congress Legislative Party by the newly elected MLAs in their meeting held on May 5.”
The resolution was also approved by Congress president Malakarjo Karge.
