Chennai, Jan 1 (IANS): In a move that brought relief to the Tamil Nadu Chief Minister and his party the DMK, its alliance partner, the MDMK, announced that it is not in favour of sharing power and pledged unstinting support to the M.K. Stalin government.

It is worth noting that since the Dravidian parties came to power in Tamil Nadu, there has never been a tradition of sharing power within the state.

However, the Viduthalai Chiruthaigal Katchi (VCK), a Dalit political party and an ally in the DMK-led INDIA bloc, has been vocal about its desire for power-sharing.

VCK Deputy General Secretary Aadhav Arjuna, who has since exited the party, had publicly advocated for the VCK’s inclusion in governance.

This statement was strongly opposed by VCK chief and Member of Parliament Thol Thirumavalavan.

However, there were reports of Thirumavalavan expressing his desire of being part of the Tamil Nadu government.

Addressing the media, MDMK leader Vaiko clarified his party’s stance on the issue, stating, “We are not agreeing to sharing power and governance.”

Responding to Tamil Nadu BJP President K. Annamalai’s pledge not to wear footwear until the DMK is ousted from power, Vaiko remarked, “As long as I live, I will not let anyone remove the DMK government.”

He added, “Moreover, the people support this government and the welfare measures implemented by Chief Minister M.K. Stalin.”

On a different note, Vaiko condemned the sexual assault incident at Anna University, demanding that the accused be given the maximum punishment under the law.

Highlighting the MDMK’s achievements, Vaiko listed several successful protests led by his party, including halting the neutrino project, ensuring the closure of Sterlite, and safeguarding the Mullaperiyar Dam.

He lamented, however, that the common public remains unaware of these efforts due to the party’s lack of media presence.

“We are not doing these things for votes,” he emphasised.

In a strong critique of the BJP-led central government, Vaiko accused it of attempting to undermine secularism and federalism.

Vaiko said, “The BJP has renamed Allahabad as Prayagraj. A conference held by Hindutva groups in 2022 proposed shifting the national Capital to Varanasi and removing all official languages except Hindi and Sanskrit. They even suggested taking away voting rights from minorities.”

He praised Stalin and the DMK government for implementing welfare schemes benefiting students, women, and other sections of society.

“Chief Ministers of other states want to replicate the schemes introduced by the DMK government in their respective states,” he concluded.