NEW DELHI: The Congress is finally in action mode in Tamil Nadu. After a weekend brainstorming with party chief Mallikarjun Kharge and Rahul Gandhi in the national capital, the Tamil Nadu Congress Committee has convened a crucial Executive Committee meeting tomorrow to focus on preparations for the upcoming 2026 Tamil Nadu assembly elections.
But the important question is: Has the Congress finalised its direction in the state? Will the grand-old party continue with its long-term ally the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK), which has refused to share power if the alliance wins the upcoming assembly elections? Or will the Congress explore the possibility of a new coalition in the state by joining hands with actor-politician Vijay’s TVK?The Congress-DMK alliance in Tamil Nadu faces one of its toughest challenges from within.
According to reports, the Congress leadership has asked the state unit leaders to maintain alliance discipline and avoid confrontational political posturing against the long-standing and “trusted” ally. The directive on the importance of unity comes amid some very strong remarks made by a section of the state Congress after DMK rejected the idea of a coalition government.Congress MP Manickam Tagore was the first to float the idea of power sharing when he said that time had come to discuss sharing of power in the state with DMK.
When the DMK said “no” to this, the Congress leader took potshots at the regional ally and also accused it of intolerance towards coalition partners.“We do not say ‘bye-bye’ to allies after elections,” Manickam Tagore said in a hard-hitting social media post. The Congress leader cited the example of United Democratic Front (UDF), the Congress-led coalition in Kerala, to school the DMK on “coalition dharma.” In a series of Pongal messages, Tagore contrasted what he described as the DMK’s “centralised mindset” with the inclusive and consultative UDF model practised in Kerala.
“No betrayal after elections, no breaking alliances after counting votes. That is the UDF difference,” he said, describing it as “coalition dharma in action”.Tagore said Kerala UDF offers a hopeful template for coalition politics, where the Congress leads without monopolising authority. Power, he stressed, is shared rather than concentrated.The DMK is yet to react to this raised pitch by the Congress, which has till now played second fiddle to its regional ally.
Even in 2006 when the DMK had fallen short of majority winning 96 seats, the Congress with 34 elected members supported DMK’s minority government without joining it.
The Congress’s electoral fortunes in Tamil Nadu have been intertwined with the DMK since the two parties came together. Whenever the DMK has done well, the Congress has also gained, and vice versa. The grand-old party has seen a steady decline in its vote share in the state from 9.3% in 2011 to 4.27% in the 2021 assembly elections.
So, has the time come for the Congress to rethink its Tamil Nadu strategy? Here are the pros and cons of the grand-old party considering a political realignment in the state.PROS
For the Congress leadership, any decision on DMK alliance in Tamil Nadu will be tricky. While on the one hand, it will be tempted to experiment with Vijay’s TVK for greater political gains, on the other, it would be wary of its decision turning into a costly gamble.
Curated by Dr. Elena Rodriguez
