TamilNadu: The rift within the INDIA alliance have come out in the open, with one of the long-standing partnership between the Congress and the DMK now at the verge of a breaking point after Congress extended its support to a Vijay-led government in Tamil Nadu.
Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) spokesperson Saravanan Annadurai on Wednesday sharply criticised Congress, calling the decision “myopic” and accusing the party of having “backstabbed” its INDIA alliance partners.
“I think this is a very short-sighted, myopic stand taken by the Congress, which they will regret. The 2029 big elections are coming, where we were very confident that we will be able to remove the BJP. But now, because of this decision by the Congress, it has made them a very unstable partner. The perception that is out in the entire country is that Congress cannot be trusted,” he said.
“Congress has offered its support to the TVK, and that is why we called it backstabbing. The Congress has decided to flip sides and support the TVK, and the reasons cited by them are not convincing. They say they want to keep the BJP and the RSS at bay, and that is why this call should be made. This is a full-hearted decision by the Congress, which is likely to send ripples across the country in the sense that there are other alliance partners. If Congress is going to be so untrustworthy, just within a day of the results, they are openly going against the mandate. What impact will it create in the minds of Akhilesh Yadav, Tejashwi Yadav, Uddhav Thackeray and all the others? We have never failed the Congress,” he added.
Congress has unanimously decided to support the Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK) to form the government in Tamil Nadu , after the two-year old party fell 10 seats short of the majority mark (118) in the 2026 Assembly elections, according to sources.
Tamil Nadu Congress Committee (TNCC) President K Selvaperunthagai chaired a late-night virtual meeting with party MLAs and senior leaders to discuss the possibility of extending support to TVK. According to the Tamil Nadu Congress, the Google Meet session involved detailed discussions on the evolving political scenario in the state and the strategic implications of aligning with the TVK.
Earlier, Congress General Secretary KC Venugopal had also confirmed that Vijay had sought Congress’ support in Tamil Nadu. Venugopal also said that the party leadership has directed the Tamil Nadu Congress Committee to take a final decision.
According to India Today, the resolution was passed during a virtual meeting held to discuss a potential alliance with the two-year-old party. Sources said the Congress, which secured five seats in the 2026 Assembly elections, is likely to seek two Cabinet positions along with a few chairmanships of government boards.
A formal letter of support from the Congress is expected to be issued on Wednesday. Subsequently, Congress MLAs are likely to meet Vijay at Panaiyur, where the TVK’s political operations are currently based.
The Congress backing TVK signals a significant shift not only in Tamil Nadu politics but also at the national level, where it is allied with the MK Stalin-led DMK within the INDIA bloc. This development may compel Opposition parties to reassess their equations and strategy ahead of the 2029 General Elections.
On May 4, the TVK achieved a historic breakthrough in the Tamil Nadu Assembly elections, emerging as the single-largest party. It won 108 seats in the 234-member Assembly, falling 10 short of the majority mark. The party is now seeking support from smaller parties across both the DMK and AIADMK camps.
The Congress holds five seats, the PMK has four, while the CPI, CPI(M), and VCK have two seats each. These parties are likely to extend their support to the Vijay-led formation.
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