TVK has not yet approached us with a request for support in the non-election survey, says the head of the PPCC

Member of Parliament and PCC president V. Vaithilingam at a press conference in Puducherry on Monday. | Photo credit: KUMAR SS

Member of Parliament and PPCC chief V. Vaithilingam said the Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam is yet to approach the Congress party for its support in the Thattanchavady by-election.

“They have not yet approached us with a request for support. We will call when the situation arises,” he said when asked at a press conference at the PPCC office on Monday.

Asked about the conflicting stances of AICC chief Girish Chodankar and the PPCC leadership on the six candidates who contested the alliance partners’ nominees in the 2026 assembly polls, the party chief said, “The AICC leadership wanted to take action earlier but now it does not want to go ahead with disciplinary proceedings,” he added.

Referring to other issues, the Congress leader said that the education policy of the Prime Minister Narendra Modi-led National Democratic Alliance government has placed a lot of emphasis on students.

“We are not against NEET, but the lapses in the conduct of the entrance exam have caused mental stress and hardship to the students. The party was worried about the huge financial burden on the parents due to the fees charged by the coaching centres,” he said.

The government should step in to streamline the huge fees charged by the coaching centers. There should also be some check on the exorbitant fees charged by CBSE schools for admission to Class 11. Private schools do not follow the fee structure set by the Puducherry government, he said.

Published – 22 June 2026 6:00 PM IST