Chennai: Leaders of CPM and CPI skipped the meeting of `friendly parties’ convened by TVK on Wednesday, but called on chief minister C Joseph Vijay at the secretariat prior to the meeting reaffirming their support to the TVK govt. The left leaders rejected former chief minister M K Stalin’s remark that TVK govt would collapse anytime.CPM state secretary P Shanmugam, flanked by his CPI counterpart M Veerapandian told reporters after meeting Vijay that the meeting organised by TVK was that of alliance parties and that they were only extending external support to TVK govt. “It is a meeting of TVK’s alliance partners. But there is no change in our stand to extend external support to TVK govt,” Shanmugam said.He termed the meeting with Vijay as a courtesy call. The two Left leaders said they urged the CM to convene an all-party meeting and arrive at a consensus before passing resolutions on contentious issues like Cauvery dispute. They had objected to TVK govt seeking a separate tribunal for Mekedatu dam.CPM and CPI also sought a people-centric state budget and demanded the abolition of the contract employment system in the TN govt. “We urged the CM to give due consideration to the demands of farmers, conservancy workers and migrant workers, ensure their livelihood and address their grievances. We also urged him to look into the pending demands of govt employees and the working class,” Veerapandian said.
