Second TVK+ alliance meeting at Panaiyur HQ, chaired by CM Vijay. Congress, VCK, MDMK and IUML attended. CPI and CPI(M) officially skipped — second consecutive boycott. Alliance name, Common Minimum Programme and steering committee discussed. Congress-TVK PM-candidacy tension unresolved.
The second alliance coordination meeting of parties supporting the TVK government was held at TVK party headquarters in Panaiyur, Chennai on Wednesday, September 9, chaired by CM C. Joseph Vijay. The meeting was convened to formally name the alliance, draft a Common Minimum Programme and create a coordination structure. What it produced was significant progress — but two notable absences defined the event as much as the attendance.
| Party | Status | Key Figure / Reason |
|---|---|---|
| TVK | ✓ Chaired | CM Vijay, Ministers Anand, Aadhav Arjuna, Nirmal Kumar |
| Indian National Congress | ✓ Attended | TNCC President Manickam Tagore |
| VCK | ✓ Attended | Thol Thirumavalavan |
| MDMK | ✓ Attended | Vaiko (confirmed and attended) |
| IUML | ✓ Attended | State leadership |
| CPI | ✗ Skipped | Outside support — won't join formal alliance without cabinet berths |
| CPI-M | ✗ Skipped | P. Shanmugam: outside support is issue-based, wants organisational independence |
CPI(M) state secretary P. Shanmugam formally clarified before the meeting that the party's support to the TVK government is issue-based outside support to keep the government stable, and it does not want to join a formal alliance structure without cabinet berths. This is the second consecutive boycott of a formal TVK alliance meeting — they also stayed away from the July 1 Kovalam meeting.
TVK Minister CTR Nirmal Kumar responded: "Communist leaders have extended their support to the government. They have extended their support and are with us. We will continue to take their suggestions." CPI(M) also cited the controversial government circular incident as context — TVK ministers had expressed regret and said the circular was an official's mistake that did not reach the government, which softened but did not resolve the Left's position.
TVK Minister Aadhav Arjuna had previously said the country's top constitutional office should be held by a leader from Tamil Nadu — widely read as projecting Vijay for 2029 PM. Vijay's 9.2% rating in the India Today MOTN poll (third nationally) added fuel. Congress drew a firm line: TNCC President Manickam Tagore stated clearly that Rahul Gandhi would be the 2029 PM candidate. TVK tried to defuse it — Minister Rajmohan said such remarks were made out of "affection" and were not official policy. The tension was present in the room but not resolved by the meeting.
The four agenda items: (1) a formal name for the alliance; (2) a Common Minimum Programme; (3) a steering committee structure — Vijay as alliance leader, Vaiko discussed for coordination role; (4) by-election strategy for Madurantakam and Dharapuram (October 6). A formal announcement of the alliance name and office-bearers was expected to follow the meeting. The outcome of those decisions is to be reported once officially confirmed.
TVK Alliance CPI-M Skip Congress PM Tension September 9, 2026