Daijiworld Media Network - Chennai

Chennai, Oct 4: Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK), led by actor-turned-politician Vijay, has formally joined the INDIA bloc in Tamil Nadu, with Tamil Nadu Congress Committee president B Manickam Tagore describing the development as a "historic day" for the opposition alliance.

TVK participated in the Tamil Nadu INDIA bloc's consultation meeting at the Tamil Nadu Congress Committee headquarters in Chennai on Saturday for the first time. TVK leaders Aadhav Arjuna and Maria Wilson represented the party at the meeting, which was attended by Congress, CPM, CPI, VCK, MDMK and IUML leaders.

Tagore said TVK's decision to work with the INDIA bloc would strengthen the alliance in Tamil Nadu. He said the parties would intensify their campaign against the BJP and raise concerns over the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls and the functioning of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar.

The meeting decided to organise "Save Democracy" protests at district headquarters across Tamil Nadu on October 13 and 14. A joint demonstration involving the alliance partners is scheduled to be held in Chennai on October 15, with the parties demanding the removal of Gyanesh Kumar.

Aadhav Arjuna said TVK's participation in the meeting itself marked the party's presence in the INDIA bloc. The meeting also discussed the opposition's concerns over the SIR exercise and electoral issues.

The development comes after TVK and Congress became part of the same state-level alliance led by Vijay following the Tamil Nadu Assembly elections. The formal participation of TVK in the INDIA bloc meeting marks a further alignment between the parties at the state level.

The INDIA bloc's campaign against the Election Commission is expected to continue with programmes in Tamil Nadu and other parts of the country, with opposition parties seeking to sustain their objections to the SIR exercise and demanding action against the Chief Election Commissioner.