Vijay-led TVK joins INDIA bloc, says Congress
The Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK), led by Vijay, has joined the INDIA alliance in Tamil Nadu, Tamil Nadu Congress Committee president Manickam Tagore said. He described the development as a “very historic day” for the alliance and said the entry of TVK would strengthen the opposition grouping in the state.
Tagore also said the INDIA bloc would intensify its campaign against Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar, with district-level demonstrations planned across Tamil Nadu. The opposition has been demanding his resignation over issues related to the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls.
TVK joins INDIA alliance in Tamil Nadu
Speaking about TVK’s entry into the alliance, Tagore said the move would strengthen the INDIA bloc’s position in Tamil Nadu. He said the development showed that the opposition’s fight against the RSS-BJP, particularly Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah, would be an important political contest in the state.
TVK leaders Aadhav Arjuna and Maria Wilson are also scheduled to attend the INDIA bloc’s consultative meeting on Saturday. The meeting is expected to focus on the opposition’s concerns over the SIR exercise, electronic voting machines and the demand for the removal of CEC Gyanesh Kumar.
District-level protests planned against CEC
Tagore said the INDIA bloc had decided to organise demonstrations at district headquarters across Tamil Nadu against Gyanesh Kumar.
According to him, the alliance will release a list of leaders who will participate in the protests. A district-level demonstration involving all seven INDIA bloc parties is also planned in Chennai on October 15.
The protests are part of a wider opposition campaign against the Election Commission and its handling of electoral roll revision.
Opposition leaders demand Gyanesh Kumar’s resignation
Top opposition leaders of the INDIA bloc had gathered at the Constitution Club on September 30 to discuss alleged irregularities in the SIR exercise, concerns over EVMs and the demand for the resignation of Gyanesh Kumar.
The issue has also triggered protests in Mumbai and Delhi. Activists of the Cockroach Janata Party and other civil society organisations staged a protest at Mumbai’s Shivaji Park, while members of the Students’ Federation of India and Democratic Youth Federation of India, along with opposition leaders, demonstrated near Jantar Mantar in Delhi.
The opposition bloc is planning further programmes in the coming days, including an event on October 6 and a rally in Delhi on November 1.
Congress says it is ready to intensify protests
Congress general secretary KC Venugopal said the party and INDIA bloc leaders were prepared to face arrest as part of their protests against the CEC.
Venugopal described the campaign as a “do-or-die” fight for the Congress and said the opposition would continue its protests.
“This is for saving the democracy of the country, saving the vote for a common man,” Venugopal said, alleging that voters’ rights were being undermined through the Election Commission.
He also said several leaders had been detained during Friday’s protests and claimed that more arrests could take place in the coming days.
“Today’s arrest? Yes. In the coming days, more arrests will happen. We are ready to go to jail to save democracy,” Venugopal said.
INDIA bloc plans more protests
The opposition movement against the Chief Election Commissioner is set to continue with demonstrations planned across Tamil Nadu and other parts of the country.
The INDIA bloc’s upcoming programmes are centred on its demand for Gyanesh Kumar’s resignation and its objections to the SIR exercise. The alliance is also preparing for a larger rally in Delhi on November 1, as opposition parties seek to sustain their campaign over electoral issues.
