IUML Joins TVK govt; Papanasam MLA A M Shahjahan To Enter Cabinet

Chennai: VCK and IUML have decided to join the cabinet and their MLAs will be sworn in on Friday. VCK’s Tindivanam MLA Vanni Arasu is likely to be allotted Adi dravidar welfare, and IUML’s Papanasam MLA A M Shahjahan is set to get minorities welfare department.

After meeting senior party functionaries, IUML president K M Kader Mohideen told reporter that the party had extended support to TVK govt during the trust vote 'without condition’, but the Vijay-led govt offered to include IUML in the cabinet. “We are duty-bound to thank them for approaching us and offering cabinet representation,” he said.

Following approval from the party’s political advisory committee, IUML state high-level committee met in Chennai on Thursday and decided to recommend Shahjahan.

Mohideen said DMK president M K Stalin had called and congratulated him on Thursday morning. However, he declined to answer questions on whether IUML would continue in the DMK-led alliance. “We are not discussing the alliance now. This is not an election-time decision. It is a decision to participate in governance,” he said.

He also indicated that IUML would not be in a position to participate in future protests organised by DMK while remaining part of the govt. “How can those in govt participate in protests? If there are shortcomings, we will point them out and question them,” he said.

On parties sharing power after a long gap in Tamil Nadu politics, Mohideen said this was the first such development in recent years and expressed hope that it would continue in the future.

Thirumavalavan, who had extended `unconditional support’ to TVK govt, said they have changed their stand due to TVK’s request. “Aadhav Arjuna invited us to join the cabinet, after which we met with our top party functionaries. Based on the opinion of the majority of the functionaries, we have decided to take part in the (TVK) govt,” he said.

However, Thirumavalavan was non committal on the issue of quitting the DMK-led secular progressive alliance. Responding to reporters, he said, “I will speak on that (alliance issue) another day.”