Chennai:
Amid speculation of a possible entry of the Pattali Makkal Katchi or PMK, Tamil Nadu School Education Minister and TVK leader Raj Mohan has sought to reassure the VCK (Viduthalai Chiruthaigal Katchi). His assurance came a day after VCK minister Vanni Arasu warned that his party would walk out of the TVK-led alliance if the PMK joined. "VCK is a pillar of our Secular Social Justice Alliance, our alliance is strong. Thol Thirumavalavan is our brother. There could be speculation but we know the truth," Raj Mohan said on Monday. His remarks come as VCK deputy general secretary and Social Justice Minister Vanni Arasu drew a clear red line over the possible entry of the PMK.
"If PMK comes into the TVK alliance, we will walk out. The ministerial post is less important to me than Thol Thirumavalavan and the VCK," Vanni Arasu said at a party meeting in Tindivanam on Sunday, reiterating that his party would not be part of an alliance that includes the PMK or the BJP.
The VCK has consistently opposed an alliance with the PMK, which it accuses of caste-based politics, and the BJP, which it describes as communal. VCK chief Thol Thirumavalavan has also reiterated that his party has maintained this position for more than 15 years.
The rivalry has deeper social and political roots. The VCK champions Dalit rights, while the PMK champions the interests of the Vanniyar community. The two parties have long been political rivals, making any attempt to accommodate both within the same alliance particularly contentious.
The speculation about a possible PMK entry gained momentum after the party, which fought the assembly election as an AIADMK ally, remained neutral in the recent bypolls to Madurantakam and Dharapuram. It neither fielded candidates nor officially endorsed the AIADMK, fuelling questions about a possible realignment with TVK.
However, PMK leadership including party chief Anbumani Ramadoss and his MLA wife Soumya dismissed reports of the party joining the TVK alliance as rumours. There has been no formal announcement of any arrangement.
The issue has implications beyond alliance arithmetic. The VCK's presence strengthens TVK's social justice pitch and its claim to represent a broader social coalition. Chief Minister Vijay's cabinet has eight Dalit ministers, an important part of the government's social justice positioning.
The TVK has 107 MLAs in the 234-member assembly and remains 11 short of a majority.
It is supported by the Congress, which has five MLAs, and the VCK and IUML, which have two each, while the CPI and CPM with two law makers each extend support from outside. The PMK has four MLAs.
For TVK, adding the PMK could strengthen its numbers and broaden its support base, but it also risks unsettling an existing ally whose political identity is closely tied to its opposition to the PMK.
A TVK source, however, indicated that the party would work towards building a "larger inclusive coalition", expressing hope that the VCK and PMK could reconcile their differences at some point. Whether the two longstanding rivals can find common ground remains a key challenge for TVK as it seeks to expand its political base while retaining its positioning of social justice.