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“Not Merely Seat Share, We Need Power Share”: Thirumavalavan Shares Old Speech, Deletes Later, Claims It Was His Admin

The Commune
"Not Merely Seat Share, We Need Power Share": Thirumavalavan's X Handle Shares Old Speech And Deletes Later, Claims It Was His Admin

Viduthalai Chiruthaigal Katchi (VCK) sparked controversy by inviting the opposition AIADMK to join the party’s protest for a total ban on alcohol. Now, their chief Thirumavalavan has stirred the pot further within his DMK-led alliance by sharing a video of an old speech in which he demands seat sharing in the cabinet.

The VCK-DMK alliance, which has been united for seven years in their fight against sectarian forces, began with a flourish on 5 September 2017, at the ‘Murasoli Festival‘ in Kottivakam. However, this partnership is now showing signs of strain. VCK has faced ongoing criticism for not speaking out against the ruling party’s alleged atrocities against SC/ST communities, a situation exacerbated within their alliance.

Recently, tensions have escalated as VCK invited the opposition AIADMK to join their protest for a total ban on alcohol, suggesting potential future alliance shift. Adding fuel to the fire, Thirumavalavan has posted an old speech calling for seat sharing in the cabinet, further straining the alliance.

On 14 September 2024, Thirumavalavan posted a video on his official X account that quickly went viral. In the video, he stated, “You should not speak out against it, should not protest, should not get high in education, should not aspire to hold a high position, and should not demand a share in the administration and power,” then continued,  “Whether anyone has raised the voice of a coalition government in Tamil Nadu before or not. The party that raised the voice for a coalition government in 2016 is Viduthalai Chiruthaigal Katchi. Cabinet should be shared, not merely seat share but we need power share. I don’t know the history whether previous organization has discussed about it… Power sharing is different from seat sharing. To ask for a seat in the cabinet is power sharing, and to participate in the coalition is ‘seat sharing’. Some 4 or 5 seats will be allocated in that, too, power comes individually. Power sharing means that I also want to share in the power.”

Thirumavalavan then explained that VCK’s slogan, “Share in governance, share in power,” was introduced in 1999 when he first entered electoral politics. He recalled that when he first garlanded Ambedkar’s statue in Neyveli, his guiding principle was “Democracy for all, power to the common people.” He emphasized that power does not belong to any one individual. To truly understand their movement and its courage to speak openly about these principles, one must be aware of its history. He urged people not to simply engage in superficial social media discussions but to appreciate the deeper context of their message.

The post quickly went viral as it was perceived as a direct and transparent critique aimed at the DMK. After gaining significant attention, the post was deleted. When media personnel inquired about the post and later deletion, VCK chief Thirumavalavan dismissed the issue, suggesting that the post was likely made by an admin and reiterating that the message had long been a part of his party’s discourse.

Further, reports indicate that the VCK’s inaugural flagpole, erected in the Pudhur area of Madurai, was removed by the police. Authorities cited the lack of permission for erecting a large flagpole as the reason for its removal, as VCK cadres had proceeded with the installation despite this. Many suggest that this action might be a response from the ruling DMK to VCK’s recent activities.

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