Chennai: Internal strains in the TVK led alliance has started surfacing with allies trading barbs against each other.While CPM state secretary P Shanmugam flayed the state govt for its directive to collect details of students associated with Left parties and Cockroach Janata Party, TNCC president Manickam Tagore criticised TVK ministers saying they were still functioning as fans of chief minister C Joseph Vijay. His remarks were in response to ministers projecting Vijay as the next PM. Meanwhile, another ally, VCK, has criticised higher education minister P Viswanathan saying that he was bringing disrepute to TVK govt and urged Congress to take action on him.The sharpest criticism came from P Shanmugam protesting two govt actions. He objected to Guziliamparai tahsildar directing officials to collect details of CPI and CPM functionaries in the taluk and to a directive from the directorate of collegiate education seeking details of students associated with CJP and Left parties, ostensibly to prevent protests. He asked whether TVK wanted the support of the Left parties that helped it form the govt or the officials who are acting against it.Tagore’s response to statement by TVK minister Aadhav Arjuna saying the next PM would be from Tamil Nadu, was also seen as an expression of displeasure. After Arjuna’s statement, ministers D Sarathkumar, A Srinath and K Jagadeeswari openly backed Vijay as PM candidate. “Some of them are still in fan club mode,” Tagore said. He added that the whole country was aware of Rahul Gandhi’s contribution to uphold democracy and his fight for people. “I hope Vijay will speak at the right time,” he said.VCK, meanwhile criticised another coalition partner Congress targeting higher education minister P Viswanathan. In a post on X, VCK referred to earlier controversies involving Viswanathan, including an incident in which he danced on a school campus and another in which he held students’ feet, arguing that the latest allegations had damaged the govt’s image.TVK leaders, however, said these criticisms indicate a healthy exchange of views within the alliance and not confrontation.
