Congress’s boycott of the DMK-led event highlights a deepening rift, fueling speculation of an alliance split ahead of the 2026 elections.
Chief Minister M K Stalin— DC Image
Chennai: The shaky alliance between the DMK and Congress moved to the brink of the precipice on Friday with the entire Congress boycotting the Tiruchi public event of Chief Minister M.K. Stalin, marking the inauguration the fortnight long march of alliance partner, Vaiko of MDMK, to create awareness on preventing the entry of the BJP into Tamil Nadu and on the drug menace.
While the flag off of Vaiko's ‘Equality March’ saw the Chief Minister referring to the whipped up fear among the Christian, Muslim, SC and BC communities, the leaders and workers of the Congress kept away from the alliance’s first meeting in the New Year on the pretext of the MDMK using the photograph of late LTTE leader V. Prabhakaran in its publicity material for the march.
The Congress boycott of the event held by the secular democratic front, led by the DMK, was perceived as a clear sign of the widening of the chasm between the national party and the DMK that has been showing up for quite some time, fuelling the speculation of a possible snapping of ties in the run up to the 2026 Assembly elections.
To add credence to the speculation on the Congress trying to distance itself from the DMK because it was keen on striking an alliance with the fledgling Tamilaga Vetri Kazhagam (TVK), a member of the TNCC and Assets and Properties Restoration Committee, A.P. Surya Prakasam, openly supported the move. In a statement, Surya Prakasam accused TNCC president K. Selvaperunthogai, of turning the State Congress into a slave camp of the DMK for his own benefit.
He also said that his party should align with the TVK to prevent a debacle, along with the DMK, in the coming elections. But more than that open call for a tie-up with the TVK by a not so prominent leader in the TNCC, the entire Congress boycotting the Chief Minister’s event at Tiruchi was the real eye-opener to the deterioration of the relationship between allies.
Though the earlier remarks of Girish Chodankar, the AICC in charge of Tamil Nadu, demanding more seats and share power for his party, and another AICC honcho Praveen Chakravorty calling on Vijay for a prolonged conversation had earned the wrath of the DMK leaders, Selvaperunthagai had managed to smoothen the ruffled feathers by chastising his party leaders.
However, doubts arose over the Congress continuing in the DMK-led alliance on Wednesday after the national party’s whip in the Lok Sabha, Manickam Tagore, berated its State allies – VCK, MDMK, CPI and CPM – for demanding action against Chakravarty for his remarks against the DMK government and for meeting TVK president Vijay.
Though Chakravarthy’s recent remarks had drawn strong opposition from some Congress leaders like Selvaperunthagai and members of Parliament Jothimani and Sashikanth Senthil, they were spared by Tagore, who only lashed out at the leaders of the alliance parties in a message on X, accusing them of crossing the limits and interfering in the internal affairs of another party.
The Congress boycott of the event held by the secular democratic front, led by the DMK, was perceived as a clear sign of the widening of the chasm between the national party and the DMK that has been showing up for quite some time, fuelling the speculation of a possible snapping of ties in the run up to the 2026 Assembly elections.
To add credence to the speculation on the Congress trying to distance itself from the DMK because it was keen on striking an alliance with the fledgling Tamilaga Vetri Kazhagam (TVK), a member of the TNCC and Assets and Properties Restoration Committee, A.P. Surya Prakasam, openly supported the move. In a statement, Surya Prakasam accused TNCC president K. Selvaperunthogai, of turning the State Congress into a slave camp of the DMK for his own benefit.
He also said that his party should align with the TVK to prevent a debacle, along with the DMK, in the coming elections. But more than that open call for a tie-up with the TVK by a not so prominent leader in the TNCC, the entire Congress boycotting the Chief Minister’s event at Tiruchi was the real eye-opener to the deterioration of the relationship between allies.
Though the earlier remarks of Girish Chodankar, the AICC in charge of Tamil Nadu, demanding more seats and share power for his party, and another AICC honcho Praveen Chakravorty calling on Vijay for a prolonged conversation had earned the wrath of the DMK leaders, Selvaperunthagai had managed to smoothen the ruffled feathers by chastising his party leaders.
However, doubts arose over the Congress continuing in the DMK-led alliance on Wednesday after the national party’s whip in the Lok Sabha, Manickam Tagore, berated its State allies – VCK, MDMK, CPI and CPM – for demanding action against Chakravarty for his remarks against the DMK government and for meeting TVK president Vijay.
Though Chakravarthy’s recent remarks had drawn strong opposition from some Congress leaders like Selvaperunthagai and members of Parliament Jothimani and Sashikanth Senthil, they were spared by Tagore, who only lashed out at the leaders of the alliance parties in a message on X, accusing them of crossing the limits and interfering in the internal affairs of another party.
( Source : Deccan Chronicle )
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