Chennai: Leaders from VCK, IUML, MDMK, and Congress are set to attend a meeting of ‘friendly parties’ that TVK will host at Kovalam at around 4pm on Wednesday. The meeting is expected to set the tone for the ruling party to float a new front comprising the parties that are supporting it. Vijay is also likely to announce the name of the front.The Left parties have decided to skip the meeting despite receiving an invitation, and will instead call on chief minister C Joseph Vijay at the Secretariat at around 11am to submit a memorandum regarding workers’ and farmers’ welfare. “It will be a courtesy call,” said CPM state secretary Shanmugam.“We have extended support to TVK to form the govt, but are not part of the alliance. So, we have decided to refrain from attending the meeting,” CPI state secretary M Veerapandian told TOI, a stance echoed by CPM. Veerapandian added that it was a “collective decision” by the Left parties.Earlier in the day, TVK ministers N Anand and Aadhav Arjuna called on Shanmugam and Veerapandian to extend invitations. “The aim of the meeting is to reassure the Left parties’ commitment towards TVK to complete its tenure,” said a senior leader.Sources in Congress, MDMK, and IUML have confirmed their leaders’ participation in the meeting, a move that would strengthen their ties with the ruling party. VCK leader Thol Thirumavalavan has also confirmed his participation in the meeting.While Thirumavalavan has not yet clearly announced his party’s leaving the DMK-led alliance, VCK general secretaries D Ravikumar and Sinthanaiselvan said joining the TVK cabinet constitutes a “default” exit from DMK’s Secular Progressive Alliance. Nevertheless, the VCK chief is expected to make a formal announcement soon.In response to DMK president M K Stalin’s recent remark that the state might witness an election anytime, Thirumavalavan said that Vijay’s govt will continue for the next five years.
