Chennai: In a significant political development, the Congress party severed its ties with the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) and formed an alliance with the Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK) on Wednesday, marking the widest crack in the opposition INDIA bloc. The decision was announced after a meeting between senior Congress leaders and TVK president Vijay.
Congress leaders meet Vijay
AICC in-charge Girish Chodankar, along with Praveen Chakravarthy and Tamil Nadu Congress Committee (TNCC) chief K Selvaperunthagai, met TVK president Vijay at his residence. During the meeting, they extended the support of the party's five MLAs to Vijay. Chodankar stated that the Congress-TVK alliance will continue for the upcoming local body elections and the 2029 Lok Sabha elections.
Impact on INDIA bloc
Congress walking away from the DMK alliance may partially solve TVK's problem of gaining political legitimacy, but it could throw up new challenges for the grand old party. To begin with, the party's stand would weaken the INDIA bloc's message of a united opposition to the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) at the national level. Political analysts suggest that the break in ties signals that the INDIA bloc is a fragmented coalition, which could allow the BJP to label the alliance as opportunistic.
Historical context of Congress-DMK ties
Despite a history of rift and reconciliation, the DMK has remained one of Congress's ideologically aligned allies. The DMK rose to power in 1967 by dislodging Congress from power in Tamil Nadu. The ties worsened during the Emergency in 1975, when several DMK leaders, including M K Stalin, were arrested. Yet, the two parties came together again in 1980, only to part ways four years later. In 2004, the DMK and Congress revived their partnership, which lasted until 2013. The alliance was revived again in 2015 and expanded into a larger national framework with the formation of the INDIA bloc to take on the BJP in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections.
Political reactions
Political commentator Suguna Diwakar said, "Congress adopted a high-handed attitude with allies, which triggered problems with the Samajwadi Party (SP) and the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP). This trend will weaken the united opposition to the BJP in 2029." DMK insiders claim that Congress's decision would send a message to other regional allies that it will prioritise its own political gain over the alliance's common goal. Such a message, especially after a poll defeat, would make Congress allies elsewhere cautious and complicate the alliance, according to political observers.
Possible way forward
Diwakar added, "As a saving grace, Congress could bring TVK into the INDIA bloc. In that case, the character of the alliance would also change." Congress, however, appears unfazed by the criticism. A senior Congress leader questioned, "Is the INDIA bloc still alive?" pointing out that there were frictions between Congress, the Trinamool Congress (TMC), and the AAP. Su Thirunavukkarasar, a Congress leader, said, "We are uncertain about the numbers required for forming the government in Tamil Nadu. We will focus on the bloc after this."
