Chennai, February 16 (). As Tamil Nadu assembly elections approach, tensions between the DMK and Congress over seat-sharing and government participation have resurfaced, threatening the indie block in the state.
For almost two months, tension has been simmering over the Congress party’s demand for a formal stake in governance if the alliance returns to power.
Although tensions appeared to have eased when a Congress delegation met the Chief Minister and DMK president MK Stalin on December 3 to discuss seat-sharing, the issue flared up again after a senior Congress observer in Tamil Nadu publicly advocated a “coalition government” model.
The delay in formation of DMK’s formal committee to begin alliance talks further irked Congress leader Rahul Gandhi. At a meeting held in Delhi on January 25, Rahul expressed his displeasure with DMK Deputy General Secretary Kanimozhi and urged her to start talks on seat sharing soon, so that a situation like the Bihar Assembly elections does not arise again, where the Congress had got only six seats out of 61.
The DMK later announced that talks with alliance partners would begin on 22 February. However, Congress leaders in Tamil Nadu have intensified public pressure.
MPs Manickam Tagore and Jyotimani, former MP Vishwanathan and former TNCC president KS Alagiri have openly sought roles in the government, arguing that the party’s continued support for the DMK should mean power-sharing.
Strong counter statements by DMK ministers Raghupathy and Rajakannappan have further deepened the discontent among workers. Despite Chief Minister Stalin saying on February 11 that “power sharing is not part of Tamil Nadu’s political culture,” the debate has not subsided and leaders from both sides are engaged in a heated exchange on social media.
Congress leaders argue that despite playing a key role in the alliance’s victory, the party has not been in power in Tamil Nadu since 1967. They cite historical examples – 61 seats in 1984, 60 seats in 1991 and 34 seats in 2006 in which the Congress remained outside the ruling structure. In 2021, the DMK won 133 out of 173 seats, while the Congress recorded a higher success rate by winning 18 out of 25 seats.
Sources say the Congress is now demanding up to 45 seats and looking for more opportunities for young leaders, while warning that discontent could push grassroots workers towards Vijay’s TVK party.
However, the DMK is believed to be adopting a strategy of allocating seats to smaller allies first with the aim of forcing the Congress to accept the compromise at the final stage.
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SAK/AS
