Image credit : Illustrative Image

The Tamil Nadu unit of CPI (M) will support the DMK in the coming by-election to the R.K. Nagar Assembly constituency in Chennai scheduled for December 21, party’s State Secretary G. Ramakrishnan said on Thursday.

Talking to reporters after attending the party’s executive committee meeting, Ramakrishnan said the main reason for supporting the DMK was to teach a lesson to the AIADMK, whose government was ‘dancing to the tune of BJP’.

“The BJP is attempting to gain foothold through AIADMK, which is neither opposing the Centre’s anti-people and anti-Tamil Nadu stance such as NEET, Cauvery Management Board, Keezhadi excavation nor raising its voice against the ill-effects of demonetisation and GST,” Ramakrishnan said.

“The party has decided to defeat the AIADMK-BJP combine (even if the BJP fields its own candidate) and teach a lesson to the ruling party,” he added.

Asked whether it would continue in future also, Ramakrishnan said it was not an electoral alliance with DMK, “but purely an understanding to defeat and teach the AIADMK and the BJP a lesson, considering the present situation prevailing in the State”.

He appealed to the Election Commission to prevent distribution of money in the constituency during the by-poll.