New Delhi: The Tamil Maanila Congress (Moopanar) (TMC (M)) on Sunday (June 14) announced that it has decided to exit the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA) and would focus on strengthening its party organisation and support base in the state, reported The News Minute.“We have no differences of opinion with the BJP, the AIADMK, or any other parties in the alliance. The decision has been taken solely to strengthen the Tamil Maanila Congress as an independent political movement,” said TMC (M) president G.K. Vasan.Vasan announced the decision after a meeting of the party’s executive committee in Chennai. He added that party functionaries were of the opinion that being part of an alliance often limited their responsibilities and organisational initiatives at the grassroots level.“Alliances are necessary during elections, but at this stage our focus is on rebuilding and strengthening the party,” said Vasan.The party leadership feels that functioning independently would provide greater opportunities for cadre mobilisation and party expansion across Tamil Nadu.“The TMC(M) is leaving the NDA while maintaining cordial and friendly relations with all its allies,” said Vasan.With the party’s decision, the TMC (M) has become the first constituent of the NDA in Tamil Nadu to formally exit the alliance after the recent assembly elections.TMC (M) was founded in 1996 by veteran Congress leader G.K. Moopanar after he split from the Congress. Later, it became a major political force in Tamil Nadu and had also played an important role in the 1996 assembly election, helping the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) in its sweeping election victory that year.After Moopanar passed away in in 2001, the party underwent several political realignments before Vasan, who is his son, revived the party.