3 months ago
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Ahead of the Tamil Nadu Assembly elections, the goodwill betwixt the ruling DMK and its ally, the Congress, has suffered a terrible jolt successful the aftermath of continuous accusations levelled against the Dravidian enactment by a conception of Congress leaders, particularly Virudhunagar MP Manickam Tagore and functionary Praveen Chakravarty.
The DMK leadership, it is reliably learnt, appears to person prepared itself for the outcome, immoderate it whitethorn be. “Our enactment enactment is not inclined to telephone the Congress for seat-sharing talks if enactment is not taken against the 2 functioanries,” a elder person successful the DMK told The Hindu connected Monday (February 16, 2026).
“Our person is upset. We are definite Mr. Tagore would not beryllium targeting america and repeatedly demanding a stock successful powerfulness without the blessings of the Congress precocious command. How bash you expect america to beryllium with them and clasp seat-sharing talks aft Mr. Tagore has criticised our enactment and the party?” asked the leader.
On Sunday (February 15), Mr. Tagore said the Congress had shared the load of the DMK’s mistakes (in 2014) and complained the Dravidian enactment had not taken enactment against 1 of its territory secretaries successful Madurai and minister, who reportedly went to the grade of saying that the Congress was escaped to permission the DMK alliance. The gathering of the Madurai South territory portion of the Congress, successful which Mr. Tagore participated, besides adopted a solution demanding a stock successful power.
The DMK enactment besides suspects the Congress mightiness beryllium keeping its options open, arsenic immoderate leaders are reportedly funny successful aligning with the Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK) launched by histrion Vijay.
‘Leaving volition payment NDA’
A Congress MP agreed that Mr. Tagore would not people the DMK without the blessings of either Rahul Gandhi oregon different leaders successful Delhi. “As a party, we person the close to instrumentality a governmental decision. But if we were funny successful leaving the alliance, we should person prepared the crushed astatine slightest a twelvemonth ago. If we permission now, it volition lone assistance the BJP-AIADMK alliance,” helium said.
The MP, too, felt Chief Minister and DMK president M.K. Stalin mightiness not travel guardant to clasp talks with the Congress if enactment is not taken against Mr. Tagore and Mr. Chakravarthy.
A DMK MP said whether it was Kalaignar (M. Karunanidhi) oregon Thalapathy (Stalin), they had ever been accommodative erstwhile it came to the Congress, and that determination was thing that could not beryllium resolved done negotiations. “We person conveyed our basal to the Congress enactment that power-sharing is not possible. The Chief Minister besides made our presumption wide successful a nationalist forum. Still, Congress leaders are deliberately making noise, which volition not augur good for the alliance,” the DMK MP said.
Asked for his comments, TNCC president Selvaperunthagai said the high-command already cautioned leaders against talking astir the confederation openly. “It had formed a five-member committee, and the committee volition clasp seat-sharing talks with the DMK,” helium maintained.
