‘Failed to change its political character’: DMK slams Congress, passes resolution over TVK support

NEW DELHI: Dravid Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) chief MK Stalin on Thursday chaired a meeting of its 59 newly-elected MLAs at the party headquarters in Chennai, days after the counting of votes for the April 23 assembly elections.Several resolutions were adopted during the meeting, including one criticising the Congress for extending support to Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK) despite contesting the elections in alliance with DMK. Led by actor-turned-politician Vijay, TVK emerged as the single-largest party in the state but fell short of the majority mark of 118 seats.In its first resolution, the DMK, which was voted out after a single term in office, thanked its alliance partners and the people of Tamil Nadu. The second resolution praised Stalin for his “decades of dedication to the party and Tamil Nadu”.The third resolution authorised Stalin — the outgoing chief minister who lost from his own Kolathur constituency — to take all political decisions on behalf of the party and stressed the importance of ensuring a stable government.The fourth resolution accused the Congress of “moving away” from the Secular Progressive Alliance.“Congress has failed to change its old political character. It secured one Rajya Sabha seat and 28 assembly constituencies as part of the DMK-led alliance, yet shifted towards an alternative front within days, undermining the victory achieved through the hard work of alliance cadres,” the resolution read.The Congress, which won five seats, has extended support to TVK on the condition that no “communal force” is included in the alliance. However, TVK remains six seats short of the majority mark, as Vijay — who won from both Perambur and Trichy East — will have to vacate one constituency.On Wednesday, Vijay met governor Rajendra Vishwanath Arlekar and staked claim to form the government. The governor invited him again on Thursday and informed him that TVK had not demonstrated the majority support required to form the government.