CHENNAI: Hours before filing his Rajya Sabha nomination on Friday, Congress leader Praveen Chakravarthy triggered a political storm by posting on social media that “he was proud to have been chosen as the first MP candidate of the ‘Tamil Nadu Social Justice Progressive Alliance’, comprising TVK, Congress, VCK, IUML, CPI, and CPI(M)”. The post on X did not go down well with the Left parties which distanced themselves from Chakravarthy’s new alliance claim, with the CPM terming it “an act of impudence”.
In a strongly-worded message, CPM state secretary P Shanmugam said it was wrong to mention his party as part of any alliance supporting the Rajya Sabha candidate. He said neither the formation of such an alliance nor support for the candidate had been discussed with the CPM. “The post by Praveen Chakravarthy can only be described as an act of impudence,” Shanmugam said in his X post. CPI state secretary M Veerapandian told reporters that the party had not been approached or consulted regarding the formation of the “alliance” mentioned by Chakravarthy and that no one had sought the party’s support for the Rajya Sabha candidate.
Both Shanmugam and Veerapandian clarified that they had extended support to the TVK government only to prevent the imposition of President’s Rule or what he termed an indirect BJP-backed administration in the state. Such support, Veerapandian said, should not be construed as backing any political alliance or Rajya Sabha candidate.
Meanwhile, in Tiruchy, CPI former state secretary R Mutharasan dismissed speculation triggered by Chakravarthy’s post regarding the new alliance coined by the Congress leader, and reiterated that their party would continue in the DMK-led alliance. Similarly, VCK president Thol Thirumavalavan in Tindivanam said, “We were not informed about the formation of any alliance of that name. VCK stands by what the CPM has said.”
Amid the turn of events, Chakravarthy on Friday filed his nomination for the byelection to the Rajya Sabha seat that fell vacant following the resignation of AIADMK MP CVe Shanmugam. Chakravarthy filed his papers before the Returning Officer for the bypoll at the secretariat in the presence of CM Vijay. The nomination of Chakravarthy has been proposed by 10 MLAs, including the CM and seven of his cabinet colleagues, besides two Congress MLAs. In his affidavit, Chakravarthy has declared moveable and immovable assets worth `33.35 crore in his and his spouse’s name.
He told reporters that he would speak out for the rights of Tamil Nadu in the Upper House. Later Chakravarthy, along with Ministers S Rajesh Kumar and P Viswanathan paid a courtesy call on Shanmugam and Veerapandian at their offices, to smooth things over with the Left parties.
