The Communist Party of India (CPI) has announced its withdrawal from the DMK-led alliance in Tamil Nadu. State secretary M Veerapandian made the announcement on Thursday after a meeting with party functionaries in Coimbatore.
Reasons for Exit
Veerapandian stated that given the current political situation in Tamil Nadu, there was no scope for the CPI to remain part of the alliance. "It is impossible for us to be in the DMK front in the current circumstances," he told reporters.
DMK's Response
DMK organisational secretary R S Bharathi responded by saying the party would continue its political journey irrespective of support from other parties. "If they are with us, we will travel together. If they are not with us, we will go alone. If they are against us, we will fight back," he said. Bharathi also noted that the CPI has not ruled out a future alliance.
Context of Left Parties' Exit
The CPI's announcement comes days after the Communist Party of India (Marxist) (CPM), another Left ally of the DMK, declared a cessation of ties. CPM state secretary P Shanmugam stated that neither a DMK alliance nor a Secular Progressive Alliance existed in Tamil Nadu. With the Congress having walked out of the DMK front and the DMK declaring it will not be part of the INDIA bloc, there is no scope to contest elections as a unified front in the state, he added.
CPI's Stance on Other Parties
Veerapandian clarified that the Left considers the DMK, AIADMK, and TVK as democratic forces, while the RSS and BJP are their sole political adversaries. "We will continue to wage an uncompromising ideological battle to safeguard the nation's diversity and secularism," he said.
He also stated that extending external support to TVK does not imply that the party will cover up the government's errors. "CPI will monitor TVK's functioning and oppose its mistakes," he added.
