Tamil Nadu politics : DMK says ‘no’ to alliance with Vijay’s TVK, exposes fresh INDIA bloc fault lines
MK Stalin led Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) has rejected to join hands with Chief Minister Vijay’s Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK) under the INDIA bloc, accusing Congress of political betrayal after the Tamil Nadu Assembly elections.
The debate began after Viduthalai Chiruthaigal Katchi (VCK) chief Thol Thirumavalavan proposed a Kerala and West Bengal-style arrangement, where parties remain political rivals in their respective states but work together at the national level against the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). The proposal later received support from the Congress, which argued that opposition unity should take priority over state-level political differences. However, the DMK has dismissed the idea, making it clear that such a political arrangement is unlikely in Tamil Nadu’s current political landscape.
Speaking on the issue, DMK MP Ganapathy P. Rajkumar said the Congress had betrayed the alliance by supporting Vijay’s TVK after the recent Tamil Nadu Assembly elections in an effort to become part of the government. He also said the VCK was now attempting to convince the DMK on behalf of the Congress but expressed confidence that the party leadership would reject the proposal.
Rajkumar argued that the political model followed in Kerala and West Bengal cannot be replicated in Tamil Nadu because the state’s political equations have changed significantly with the emergence of the TVK as a major force. According to him, unlike Kerala’s two-front politics or West Bengal’s unique opposition dynamics, Tamil Nadu now has a new ruling political player, making any similar arrangement impractical.
The DMK leader also questioned whether the TVK should be considered part of the INDIA bloc at all, pointing out that the party currently has no representation in Parliament.
At the same time, he reiterated that the BJP remains the DMK’s principal ideological rival, accusing the ruling party at the Centre of attempting to weaken regional political parties across the country.
Rajkumar also acknowledged that relations between the DMK and Congress remain strained following their split after nearly a decade of alliance, adding that rebuilding trust would take time.
The disagreement comes in the backdrop of a major political reshuffle in Tamil Nadu after the Assembly elections.
Following the DMK’s defeat, the Congress ended its nine-year alliance with the party and extended support to Vijay’s TVK government, which had fallen short of a majority. The VCK and IUML joined the government, while the CPI and CPM provided outside support.
It was after these developments that Thirumavalavan suggested accommodating both the DMK and TVK within the INDIA bloc, arguing that parties could remain rivals in the state while cooperating nationally against the BJP.
Congress MP Jothimani supported the proposal, saying the fight against the BJP required the broadest possible opposition platform.
She argued that issues such as delimitation and the protection of democratic institutions made opposition unity essential, while also suggesting that TVK’s position within the INDIA bloc could be reconsidered if it gains representation in Parliament.
The DMK, however, remained unconvinced.
Party spokesperson TKS Elangovan said the VCK should first persuade Chief Minister Vijay, noting that the TVK chief has repeatedly described the DMK as his principal political rival.
With the Congress and VCK advocating a wider anti-BJP alliance and the DMK refusing to overlook what it describes as political betrayal, the latest exchange has highlighted growing differences within the INDIA bloc in Tamil Nadu ahead of future electoral contests.