Chennai, 13 September (H.S.): Tamil Nadu's Left parties will contest the Madurantakam and Dharapuram Assembly bypolls as an independent bloc, seeking legislative representation without ending their outside support to the TVK government.

Under the seat-sharing arrangement, the CPM will contest Madurantakam and the CPI will field its candidate in Dharapuram. CPI(ML) Liberation will campaign for both Left nominees.

The decision places the Left outside the State's three established electoral alliances. Its leaders maintained that a contest for two seats did not amount to an attempt to destabilise the government or overturn the mandate delivered in the recent Assembly election.

The candidates will be announced in Chennai on September 15 following a meeting of the state secretaries of the CPM, CPI and CPI(ML) Liberation. Nominations must be filed by September 16.

CPM state secretary P Shanmugam said the parties would approach political organisations outside the three major alliances for support. CPI state secretary M Veerapandian reiterated that his party had neither joined the TVK government nor entered an electoral alliance with it.

Veerapandian said outside support had been extended to respect the electoral verdict and prevent the Governor or the BJP from gaining indirect influence over the government. Both leaders clarified that the bypoll decision would not result in the withdrawal of that support.

The Left campaign will highlight disagreements with the government over parts of its Budget, liberal economic policies and the functioning of the Assembly. Shanmugam also criticised the two former AIADMK legislators who resigned and joined TVK within 20 days of winning their seats.

The parties will demand transparency regarding promised foreign investments, including their sources, projects and employment potential. They will seek financial assistance, tax relief and credit facilities for domestic and small-scale industries, presenting their campaign as an effort to give workers and ordinary citizens a stronger voice in the Assembly.

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Hindusthan Samachar / Arun Lakshman