The Congress party has severed its 11-year-long alliance with the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) in Tamil Nadu and decided to extend support to the Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK). The announcement was made by All India Congress Committee (AICC) in-charge for Tamil Nadu, Girish Chodankar, who stated that Congress would back TVK on the condition that no communal forces are part of the alliance.
Congress supports people's mandate
In an official statement, Girish Chodankar said, "It is our constitutional duty to respect, uphold and help fulfil the mandate of the people of Tamil Nadu. Accordingly, the Tamil Nadu Congress Committee (TNCC) and the Congress legislative party have decided to extend full support to TVK to form the government." The decision came after TVK sought Congress's support to form the government, having secured 108 seats, ten short of the majority mark of 118.
Conditional support
The support is conditional upon TVK ensuring that no communal forces are included in the alliance. "Our support shall be conditional upon TVK keeping out of this alliance any communal force that does not believe in the Indian Constitution," Chodankar emphasized. He expressed hope that the alliance would revive the legacy of former Chief Minister K. Kamaraj, which the Congress has long aspired to restore in Tamil Nadu.
Future of the alliance
Chodankar noted that the alliance is founded on mutual respect, appropriate share, and shared responsibility between the two parties. He added that the partnership would continue for the upcoming local body elections, Lok Sabha polls, and Rajya Sabha elections. By aligning with TVK, Congress has ended its relationship with the DMK, which began in 2015. This break is also expected to have repercussions at the Centre, as both parties are part of the opposition INDIA bloc.
