'Keep communal forces out': Congress offers 'conditional' support to Vijay’s TVK in Tamil Nadu; ditches DMK

NEW DELHI: Congress on Wednesday extended its support to actor-turned-politician Vijay's TVK after it emerged as the single largest party in the Tamil Nadu assembly elections, but failed to cross the majority mark.In a letter, the party which won 5 seats in the 243-membered assembly, said that its support will be conditional upon the TVK keeping out from this alliance any communal forces that do not believe in the Constitution of India."The President of Tamizhaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK), Thiru C Vijay, has formally requested the Indian National Congress (INC) to extend its support for forming a government in Tamil Nadu. The people of Tamil Nadu, especially the youth, have delivered a very clear, strong and overwhelming verdict for a secular, progressive and welfarist government that believes in constitutional principles. They have chosen the Tamizhaga Vetri Kazhagam (TVK) led by Mr. Vijay to form the next government," the letter reads. "Our support shall be conditional upon the TVK keeping out from this alliance any communal forces that do not believe in the Constitution of India. This alliance between the TVK and the Tamil Nadu Congress will strive to bring back Perunthalaivar Kamaraj's glory days of Tamil Nadu, with a strong commitment to Thanthai Periyar's social justice ideals and Dr. BR Ambedkar's constitutional ideals in the years and decades to come," it added.