Vijay's TVK joins INDIA bloc meeting in Tamil Nadu to demand CEC resignation

TVK makes its debut with the opposition

Actor-politician Vijay's newly formed party, Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK), has made its first appearance at an INDIA bloc meeting in Chennai. The move was hailed by Congress leaders as a historic step that could reshape the state's political dynamics ahead of future contests.

The meeting, held at the Tamil Nadu Congress Committee (TNCC) headquarters on Saturday, was led by TNCC president Manickam Tagore. TVK was represented by party leaders Aadhav Arjuna and Maria Wilson, who sat alongside representatives from the Congress, CPM, CPI, VCK, MDMK, and IUML.

The immediate trigger for the gathering was a joint campaign demanding the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar. The opposition alleges widespread irregularities in the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls.

"Vijay-led TVK has joined the INDIA alliance," Tagore told reporters after the meeting. "It's a very historic day for the INDIA alliance. The alliance, particularly in Tamil Nadu, is to be strengthened by the entry of TVK." He added that the development would make the fight against the BJP and the policies of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah "interesting" in the state.

Protests planned across Tamil Nadu

The seven parties present at the Chennai meeting agreed to launch a series of coordinated demonstrations. MDMK general secretary Vaiko welcomed TVK's participation and praised Vijay's decision to join the platform.

Vaiko announced that the alliance would hold statewide rallies from 13 to 15 October, demanding the removal of Gyanesh Kumar from his post. This will culminate in a major joint demonstration in Chennai on 15 October, with all participating parties mobilising their cadres.

Parallel campaign in Telangana

The campaign against the Election Commission is not limited to Tamil Nadu. In neighbouring Telangana, the local INDIA bloc has announced its own series of protests over the alleged deletion of eligible voters.

Addressing alliance leaders in Hyderabad, Telangana Pradesh Congress Committee (TPCC) president Mahesh Kumar Goud accused the central government of misusing agencies and exerting influence over the Election Commission for political gain. Goud announced that the alliance would hold protests at district collectorates on 6 October, march to Lok Bhavan on 8 October, and organise a larger demonstration in New Delhi on 1 November.

The scale of the alleged discrepancies is significant. At the Telangana meeting, CPM State Secretary John Wesley claimed that nearly 13 crore votes had been deleted nationally during the SIR revision process. Wesley argued that restrictive guidelines in Form-6 applications are preventing eligible voters from registering, while existing names are being removed based on arbitrary complaints.

The Election Commission has not yet responded to the allegations or the demand for Gyanesh Kumar's resignation.