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Following in the footsteps of the CPI-M and CPI, the Tamil Maanila Congress (TMC) too has broken ties with Tamil Nadu's ruling AIADMK.
The main reason for this decision may have been the AIADMK's refusal to offer TMC founder G K Moopanar's Rajya Sabha seat to the party.
This means that a Congress-led third front may be on cards for the assembly by-elections.
A third front may affect the electoral verdict in at least two of the three seats - Saidapet and Vaniyambadi - where by-elections will be held.
"We will finalise our strategy for the assembly by-elections in three constituencies in February after consulting the two communist parties and the Congress," TMC president G K Vasan told newspersons after a meeting of the party's political affairs committee in Chennai on Saturday.
"We are opposed to the 'anti-people' policies of the AIADMK government," Vasan said, explaining the party's decision.
With the TMC snapping ties, all major allies of the AIADMK who fought the May assembly polls on a single platform have parted company with the ruling party.
The PMK was the first one to do so, crossing over to the DMK-BJP combine soon after the assembly polls, followed by the Congress, which floated a third front for the October civic polls.
Among those who will be contesting the assembly by-elections will be former chief minister and AIADMK supremo Jayalalithaa, whose appeal against her conviction in corruption cases was upheld by the Tamil Nadu high court.
Jayalalithaa will be contesting from Andipatti.
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