Published Apr 18, 2026 | 1:20 PM ⚊ Updated Apr 18, 2026 | 1:20 PM
MK Stalin and Rahul Gandhi: Lost camaraderie.
Once brothers in arms, Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin and Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi are no longer seeing eye to eye.
The high-pressure seat-sharing talks ahead of the Tamil Nadu Assembly polls that nearly broke the alliance in Tamil Nadu, apparently, have left a lasting impact.
So much so that the two leaders aren’t even campaigning together in Tamil Nadu’s high-stakes battle. Barely five days left for polling, Gandhi embarked on his first campaign only now, after much persuasion by DMK and Tamil Nadu Congress leaders.
The rift in the alliance is for all to see, and the souring ties between the two parties are seeping into their poll prospects. In constituencies where the contest is close, the lack of cohesion threatens to cost the alliance seats.
Also Read: ‘Congress pressure shrank DMK’s space in at least 25 seats’
On Saturday, 18 April, Tejashwi Yadav — a key leader of the opposition INDIA bloc — is coming all the way from Bihar to Tamil Nadu to campaign alongside Stalin. On Saturday, Gandhi too is in Tamil Nadu, but he won’t be sharing the stage with Stalin.
The annoyance between the two leaders is hard to miss. The goodwill began fading when DMK refused to part with more seats, and a section of Congress threatened to break away from the alliance and look at other partners. When those around Gandhi convinced him to dump DMK, Sonia Gandhi and AICC President Mallikarjun Kharge intervened and saved the coalition.
Bruised egos are now taking precedence over the all-important elections, with vote transfer between allies hitting a roadblock. At a time when leaders should be standing shoulder-to-shoulder in the face of uncertainties — thanks to the entry of actor-turned-politician Vijay’s TVK into Tamil Nadu’s politics — nobody seems to be willing to bury the hatchet.
One can’t say for sure if opposition parties are wary of DMK winning a majority on its own this election, but a section of Congress — in Tamil Nadu as well as Delhi — surely is hoping for the DMK to fall short of a majority on its own.
