Chennai: CPI(M) state secretary P Shanmugam has said that the May 10 swearing-in ceremony would not have taken place if his party had not extended outside support to TAVEKA.
In an interview, Shanmugam said the party’s state committee had publicly and transparently stated that its support was limited to a specific objective. The first reason, he said, was to ensure that an elected government is formed, noting that TAVEKA had the best chance as the party with the highest number of MLAs and therefore the lawful claim to form the government.
He added that, given the situation on May 8 and May 9, if CPI(M) had withheld support, the May 10 swearing-in would not have happened. Instead, he claimed, President’s Rule would have been implemented in the state after May 10.
Shanmugam said his party has been engaged in a long struggle with like-minded parties to prevent the BJP from gaining a foothold in Tamil Nadu. He argued that a “backdoor” President’s Rule in the name of BJP rule was unacceptable, and said the outside support to TAVEKA was taken as a political decision to prevent that outcome.
