Congress Dumps DMK Amid TVK Tsunami: In Sharp Swipe At Stalin, Says Party ‘Rejected By People’

Chennai: In a dramatic escalation that could upend Tamil Nadu’s post-election equations, the Congress has launched a blistering attack on its ally, the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK), questioning its legitimacy after the Assembly verdict.

Senior Congress leader Manickam Tagore said the electoral outcome was clearly against the DMK government, pointing out that “half the ministers in the Cabinet have lost their seats”.

“We faced collateral damage for no fault of ours,” Tagore said, in remarks that have sent shockwaves across the state’s political landscape.

In a pointed political message, he further asked: “Should we stand with those rejected by the people’s verdict, or should we unite with the force that fought against BJP to stop it from ruling Tamil Nadu?”

The statement is being seen as a direct embarrassment for the DMK and a signal that the Congress may be reconsidering its alliance strategy in the state.

The sharp public criticism marks a significant departure from the Congress-DMK partnership, which has traditionally been a cornerstone of Tamil Nadu’s anti-BJP bloc.

The move comes amid a fractured electoral verdict in the 234-member Assembly, where TVK emerged as the single-largest party with 108 seats, falling short of the majority mark by just 10.

The political stakes are high, as TVK has already secured the backing of five Congress MLAs and is in talks with Left parties, including the CPI, to shore up numbers.

Meanwhile, a major political churn is underway in the state as the AIADMK faces signs of an internal split, with a significant section of its MLAs backing a potential alliance with Vijay’s TVK.

Around 35 AIADMK MLAs, widely believed to be over two-thirds of the party’s legislative strength, gathered at Rajya Sabha MP CV Shanmugam’s office in Chennai, signalling support for initiating talks with TVK. 

Shanmugam, who is leading the outreach effort, struck a cautious note, saying, “The party has to take the decision,” when asked about AIADMK extending support to TVK.

However, sources indicate resistance from AIADMK general secretary Edappadi K Palaniswami, who is reportedly not in favour of an immediate alliance. Intense discussions are expected to continue over the next two days, with the party leadership under pressure to arrive at a consensus.

The 2026 Tamil Nadu Assembly elections have upended the state’s traditional Dravidian dominance, with neither the AIADMK nor the DMK emerging as the single-largest party. AIADMK managed 47 seats, while DMK fell behind expectations with 59 seats, allowing Vijay’s debutant party to capitalise on anti-incumbency sentiment.

Earlier, senior AIADMK leader K. Pandiarajan had described the party’s performance as a “temporary setback”, asserting that the Dravidian model still retains public backing, with DMK and AIADMK together crossing the 120-seat mark.

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