Post-poll realignment in Tamil Nadu triggers bitter war of words
The DMK on Friday announced to snap its ties with the Congress after it decided to support the actor-turned-politician C Joseph Vijay-led TVK in Tamil Nadu to form government, dubbing it as an act of backstabbing and the grand old party also hitting back saying that it was winning in the State because of them.
On Friday, the DMK ended its ties with the Congress after party MP K Kanimozhi wrote to Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla to change the seating arrangements as it was no longer the alliance partner with the Congress.
The dramatic fallout between the two parties came amid intense political uncertainty in the southern State after the Assembly poll results threw up a fractured verdict, with no party crossing the majority mark.
The TVK emerged as the single largest party with 108 of 234 seats and decided to ally with the Congress, which has five MLAs, significantly altering the State’s post-poll equations.
The story of the two parties ending their relation with each other started on Tuesday when the Congress decided to support the TVK to form government in the southern State to keep BJP and RSS from making a backdoor entry into the State and also to support a secular government.
The Congress’s shift towards the TVK marks one of the most dramatic realignments in Tamil Nadu politics in recent years and has cast serious doubts over the future of the INDIA bloc at the national level.
The Congress chose to support the TVK after the Assembly polls primarily to respect a strong public mandate for change and to ensure the formation of a secular government.
By allying with Vijay’s party, the Congress aimed to prevent “communal forces” — a reference to the BJP or its proxies — from gaining power in the State.
This decision also offered the Congress a historic opportunity to return to power-sharing in Tamil Nadu for the first time since 1967, seeking ministerial berths in exchange for its support to the TVK.
During the Thursday meeting of newly elected MLAs, the DMK passed four major resolutions condemning the Congress’s move to side with the TVK. It also authorised Stalin to take urgent political and administrative decisions depending on the evolving situation in the State.
The DMK accused the Congress of “betrayal” and “backstabbing,” saying the party had “not changed its old character.” “What the BJP did to other States, Congress did to DMK in Tamil Nadu,” one of the resolutions said.
The party alleged that the Congress high command neither restrained nor condemned leaders who publicly made statements against the DMK alliance during the Assembly poll campaign.
The DMK leaders also alleged how the Congress got one Rajya Sabha seat ahead of Assembly elections and also contested on 28 seats and won five due to it.
But the Congress hit back saying that the DMK had been winning in Tamil Nadu due to it.
The Congress also reminded the DMK how the grand old party had been standing with them in 2006 and 2016 and in return they never shared power. However, being in the UPA government at the Centre, the DMK enjoyed ministerial berths.
In a post on X on Friday, Manickam Tagore said, “RG (Rahul Gandhi) called Stalin. RG called Mamata. On result day itself.”
He then said that “next morning — Rahul Gandhi backed Mamata (Banerjee) publicly. Said BJP stole 100 seats in Bengal. Congress supported TVK — to respect the people’s mandate, to form a stable government, to keep NDA out.
And now — Godi media blames Congress. Pro-DMK media blames Congress. But DMK is talking to AIADMK. With BJP’s blessings. That’s practically NDA by another name. So tell me, should Congress have helped NDA come to power? TVK has been anti-BJP from day one. Congress stood with that. No apologies,” Tagore wrote.
Tagore, while speaking to The Sunday Guardian, also said that the DMK and AIADMK coming together is “unthinkable and unbelievable.”
He said, “If the DMK and AIADMK come together to form government is unthinkable and unbelievable. The AIADMK and DMK have fought against each other. AIADMK was formed against DMK. And if they are coming together is due to (Narendra) Modi and Amit Shah, BJP.”
“BJP plan is to get DMK and AIADMK to block Vijay from forming government in Tamil Nadu, which is against the people’s mandate and people’s wish,” he said.
He also said that the Congress lost several MLAs in this year election due to governance of the DMK and in result 14 DMK ministers also lost.
He said that Congress has always stood with the DMK in its difficult times but the DMK has used it for its own benefit.
Tagore also said that without Congress, the DMK has never been able to form government without its support.
He also said that such accusations and resolutions passed by the DMK are ill-motivated.
On Saturday, Praveen Chakravarty in a satirical post on X used a fictional exchange between parties and the people of the State to allege that the DMK was trying to prevent the Vijay-led TVK from forming a post-poll alliance with “secular parties” at the behest of the BJP.
Chakravarty, who is also the chief of the professional wing and technology and data cell of the Congress, rhetorically asked, “Who is betraying who?”
The X post read, “TVK: ‘Ours is a secular ideology’. TN voters: ‘We want TVK’s secular govt’. INC: ‘Ok. We will support TVK & fulfill people’s wishes’. BJP: ‘No. We need to prevent TVK from forming govt with support from secular parties’. DMK: ‘Ok sir. We will support your partner ADMK to form govt & try our best to prevent other secular parties from helping TVK’.
