3 weeks ago
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The implicit two-decade-old narration betwixt the DMK and Congress, with a little interruption during the 2014 Lok Sabha polls, has yet travel to an end. Whenever the 2 parties engaged successful pugnacious bargaining implicit seat-sharing—first successful 2011, erstwhile the Congress insisted connected being allotted 90 seats and yet got implicit 60, and again successful 2026, erstwhile negotiations reached a signifier of brinkmanship—the confederation ended up losing elections.
Though unneurotic they shaped India’s conjugation authorities and remained an antidote to the BJP and its ideology, the narration was not escaped of tensions. In 2004, DMK person M. Karunanidhi, demanding important portfolios for his party’s ministers, arsenic agreed successful the pre-poll arrangement, announced they would not presume bureau until his demands were met. The Congress, past astatine the mercy of its allies, obliged. However, it stood steadfast successful 2009 and retained the cardinal portfolios. The 2G spectrum contented further widened the disagreement betwixt the 2 parties, and the DMK discontinue the Congress-led authorities earlier the 2014 Lok Sabha polls, adjacent though the Congress enactment sent elder leaders, including Pranab Mukherjee, Ghulam Nabi Azad, and A. K. Antony, to placate Mr. Karunanidhi. It was M. K. Stalin who stubbornly refused to entertain the Congress’s plea. The parties, however, came unneurotic again successful the 2016 Assembly polls.
What prevented the Congress from walking retired of the confederation was the long-standing narration and the emergence of the BJP arsenic a large unit astatine the Centre. It besides could not find a suitable state successful Tamil Nadu, arsenic the AIADMK has often taken a brushed Hindutva enactment and has been much comfy successful the institution of the BJP. What was expected to hap successful the run-up to the 2016 elections has present occurred aft the 2026 elections.
“We were not capable to find an due crushed to permission the alliance, adjacent though determination was a beardown sentiment successful favour of joining the TVK of histrion Vijay, since we person sailed unneurotic successful galore elections. We could not accidental nary erstwhile Mr. Vijay reached retired to us. It is the privation of the bulk of enactment workers successful the State,” said a elder Congress person who had opposed snapping ties with the DMK successful the 2026 elections.
He added though determination was bully knowing betwixt the leaders of the DMK and the Congress, the attraction meted retired to section Congress leaders by DMK functionaries created sizeable resentment. “They are celebrating the extremity of the alliance,” helium said.
The DMK defeated the Congress successful 1967 and consigned it to the margins of Tamil Nadu authorities thereafter. The 2 parties remained mutually antagonistic, with a wide spread betwixt them, particularly pursuing the Emergency, erstwhile galore DMK leaders were incarcerated. The Congress’s hopes of re-emerging successful Tamil Nadu authorities were further dashed by the emergence of different Dravidian party, the AIADMK, launched by M. G. Ramachandran. Between them, the 2 parties shared power, leaving small abstraction for the Congress, which was forced to align with 1 oregon the other.
Its effort to revive its fortunes successful 1980 failed. The Congress, past headed by the precocious M. P. Subramaniam, succeeded successful persuading Mr. Karunanidhi to hold to an adjacent stock of seats and power. However, the program came a cropper, arsenic the confederation was defeated.
Irrespective of the result of the 2026 Assembly elections, the DMK enactment had made up its caput to drawback ties with the Congress aft the bitter acquisition of seat-sharing negotiations. Mr. Stalin was reportedly upset that Congress person Rahul Gandhi, with whom helium believed helium shared a adjacent bond, did not scope retired during the negotiations. He besides failed to stock dais with Mr Stalin during the campaign. When a proposition to nonstop winning Congress candidates to conscionable Mr. Stalin and convey him was turned down, it became wide that the narration had efficaciously ended.
Another Congress leader, however, questioned the logic of extending broad enactment to Mr. Vijay and contesting alongside him successful each aboriginal elections, including the Rajya Sabha polls.
“We whitethorn person differences with the DMK, but nary person successful the state has opposed the BJP successful the mode Mr. Stalin has. What volition beryllium the Congress’s basal if Mr. Vijay does not amusement a akin committedness to opposing the BJP?” helium asked.
He besides pointed retired that the emergence of TVK has disrupted bipolar authorities successful the State, perchance making things easier for the BJP, which has been waiting for specified an opportunity. “A three-cornered contention volition yet weaken 1 of the Dravidian parties and whitethorn pave the mode for the BJP to measurement successful and inhabit that space. Even now, the BJP tin manoeuvre the concern to its vantage with the assistance of the Governor. While supporting Mr. Vijay, the Congress cannot spend to let immoderate compromise successful its basal against the BJP,” helium said.
