The Indian Union Muslim League (IUML), a long-time ally of the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK), on Saturday formally walked out of the DMK-led Secular Progressive Alliance (SPA) over its post-poll association with the Tamilaga Vetri Kazhagam (TVK) party, the party said on Saturday.
At the party’s general council meeting on Saturday in Chennai, a total of 14 resolutions were passed including discontinuation of association with the DMK-led SPA.
“Respecting the judgment of the people in the Tamil Nadu Legislative Assembly elections, the IDF has extended its support to TVK to form the government, which is currently part of the Joseph Vijay-led government. Given today’s political climate, we cannot continue our journey in the DMK alliance. This meeting resolves that a decision on the electoral alliance will be taken once the by-elections and local body elections are announced,” the resolution said.
“Today we held a general council meeting in which 483 out of 500 members participated. As many as 14 important decisions were passed in this meeting,” IUML President Khader Mohiuddin said.
“In Tamil Nadu, being part of the DMK-led SPA, the IUML, under the ‘peace’ symbol (Ini), contested in two constituencies – namely Papanasam and Vaniyambadi. With the support of the DMK and massive support from the alliance party movements, we won in these two constituencies. After a long time, two IUML members found a place in the state assembly in Tamil Nadu,” he said.
He pointed out that in the history of Tamil Nadu, for almost over 60 years, the IUML has been with the DMK-led alliance.
“Whether we win on behalf of the Muslim League in local body elections, legislative assembly elections, or MP (Parliament) elections, we have only achieved victories within the DMK alliance so far,” he said.
“We approached the DMK with the expectation that the Dravidian model of governance would return to Tamil Nadu and DMK president MK Stalin would become prime minister for the second time. We worked for it, toiled for it. But God’s will turned out to be different,” he said.
“We did not put any conditions on TVK and the only reason we decided to support the party is to ensure that president’s rule is not imposed in the country,” Muhyiddin said.
TVK won 108 parliamentary sectors but fell short of the mandatory 118 seats required to form the government. It received support from the Congress Party, which won five seats in the assembly, and the Communist Party of India, the Communist Party of India (Maoist), the Viduthalai Chiruthaigal Katchi (VCK), and the Indian Muslim League, which each won two seats.
Under the DMK-led Socialist Alliance Party, the IUML contested on two seats and won in both the constituencies – Vaniyambadi and Papanasam.
After the poll results were announced, even though they decided to support the TVK government without any conditions, IUML MLA AM Shahjahan was appointed Minister for Minority Welfare.
DMK spokesperson TKS Elangovan said: “They (IUML) have already quit and joined the TVK alliance and even got a ministerial post. What can we do? Our relationship with IUML has been since the Quaid-E-Millath days.” [founder of IUML Mohammed Ismail] It was very long. Now that they have withdrawn. What can we do? We will see if that helps them or not. “It won’t help them.”
Recently, the CPI and CPI(M) which were in the DMK alliance formally ended their association with the Dravidian Major. Currently, the DMK-led SPA alliance consists of Marumalarchi Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (MDMK) led by Vaiko, and Desiya Murpokku Dravida Kazhagam (DMDK) led by Premallatha Vijayakant.
