CPM State Secretary P Shanmugam Defends Support to TVK Government
CHENNAI — CPM state secretary P Shanmugam has defended his party’s decision to provide external support to the newly formed TVK government, calling it the only viable option to maintain political stability and keep rival alliances at bay.
Writing in the CPM mouthpiece Theekkathir, and later sharing the piece on his social media account, Shanmugam addressed criticism directed at the left party for its political stance. He argued that the DMK had no rationale for being upset over the CPM's decision to support TVK.
According to Shanmugam, the CPM was faced with three distinct options following the election results, which saw TVK emerge as the single largest party but short of a majority. The party could either support the TVK, back an AIADMK government supported by the DMK, or allow the state to enter President's rule followed by fresh elections.
The CPM state secretary explained that the party rejected the option of supporting a DMK-backed AIADMK government because it was politically untenable. He noted that the CPM had actively campaigned to keep the AIADMK-BJP alliance out of power, and that voters had rejected that alliance at the polls.
Furthermore, Shanmugam stated that the party wanted to avoid President's rule, which would have effectively handed political control of the state over to the BJP-led Union government. Consequently, the CPM chose to extend external support to the TVK as the right decision for the state.
Addressing critics who dismissed TVK's electoral success, Shanmugam asserted that the party's victory could not be downplayed as merely the result of social media influencing. He credited TVK with highlighting the actual problems plaguing the state during their campaign.
While acknowledging that TVK leaders are currently inexperienced, Shanmugam expressed hope that the nascent administration would quickly learn the complexities of governance. He added that the TVK is now duty-bound to resolve the issues of corruption and bribery that they had previously accused the DMK government of fostering.
Shanmugam concluded by warning that while the CPM is offering external support, the party remains prepared to oppose any future decisions by the TVK administration that it deems anti-people.
