CHENNAI: Viduthalai Chiruthaigal Katchi (VCK) on Tuesday announced that it has decided to contest alone in three constituencies in Puducherry and support the Secular Progressive Alliance comprising Congress and DMK in the remaining constituencies there.
In a statement on Tuesday, VCK president Thol Thirumavalavan said that the Congress party has filed nominations in all the constituencies where VCK and CPI have submitted their nomination papers. “With VCK still unaware of which constituency will ultimately be allotted, our party functionaries have been subjected to unnecessary mental distress,” Thirumavalavan said in a statement.
VCK has decided to contest independently in three constituencies namely Oosudu, Nettapakkam, Uzhavarkarai, where the party candidates have already filed the nominations. “Support will be extended to the secular progressive alliance candidates in the other constituencies where we are not contesting,” Thirumavalavan said in a statement.
The Viduthalai Chiruthaigal Katchi has been a part of the secular progressive alliance in Puducherry State for many years, contesting in the Legislative Assembly elections. In 2001, VCK contested in two constituencies as part of the DMK-led alliance. In the 2021 elections, the Congress allotted only the Uzhavarkarai general constituency.
“To avoid putting pressure on the alliance, we accepted that one seat at that time and contested. However, we did not receive cooperation from the alliance parties. Nevertheless, we secured more than 6,000 votes,” Thirumavalavan said.
For the ensuing Assembly elections, the VCK had demanded three constituencies. After prolonged negotiations, after the deadline for filing nominations were over, the number of constituencies between the Congress party and DMK has now been finalized.
“The Congress party, which will contest in the majority of seats in the alliance, has not come forward to allot constituencies to other alliance parties. From the DMK side, there has been a proposal to allot one constituency to VCK. However, even after the process of filing the nominations was completed, it is still not confirmed which constituency that will be,” Thirumavalavan said, adding that the Congress party has filed nominations in all constituencies including the seats where VCK and CPI has filed nominations.