Tamil Nadu politics has seen a clear pattern: coalition partners are rarely, if ever, accommodated in the Cabinet.
Published Jan 10, 2026 | 3:20 PM ⚊ Updated Jan 10, 2026 | 3:20 PM
K Selvaperunthagai with Udhayanidhi Stalin. Credit: x.com/SPK_TNCC
Synopsis: Tamil Nadu Congress faces internal discord as leaders publicly demand power-sharing with DMK, unsettling the INDIA alliance. State president K Selvaperunthagai cautioned against weakening the coalition, stressing BJP–AIADMK gains if divisions persist. Despite his directive, confrontations continue, with some leaders allegedly plotting his removal. Rahul Gandhi’s upcoming Tamil Nadu visit is expected to address tensions and restore unity.
Recent developments within the Tamil Nadu Congress have become a source of discomfort not only for its alliance partner, DMK, but also for the party’s state president, K Selvaperunthagai.
While the Congress leadership at the national level has so far refrained from openly demanding a share in power or a role in governance, some Tamil Nadu Congress leaders and MPs have been making such demands publicly, particularly on social media and other open platforms. These statements have triggered unease within the INDIA alliance.
Until the DMK first came to power in 1967, Tamil Nadu was governed by the Indian National Congress after Justice party rule. Once a dominant force across India, Congress held power in Tamil Nadu as well. However, following an aggressive anti-Congress campaign, the DMK, under the leadership of CN Annadurai formed the government in 1967.
Since then, over the past 58 years, Congress has not returned to power in Tamil Nadu even once. Nevertheless, just four years after forming the government, DMK entered into an alliance with Congress for the 1971 Lok Sabha elections. Over the next few decades, particularly through the 1990s, the alliance came together sporadically at different points in time.
From 2004 onwards, however, the DMK–Congress alliance has largely remained intact till date, barring one brief rupture prior to the 2014 elections.
Despite this long association, Congress has continued in Tamil Nadu largely as a junior ally to the DMK. Since 2024, however, demands for a “share in power” have begun to resonate more strongly in the state’s political discourse.
Notably, when actor Vijay launched his party, Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK), in February 2024, one of its core ideological positions was the demand for a share in governance. The party announced that alliance partners would be given a role in power.
Historically, however, Tamil Nadu politics has seen a clear pattern: whether it is DMK or AIADMK in power, coalition partners are rarely, if ever, accommodated in the Cabinet. It is against this backdrop that the current demand for a share in power has gained prominence and become a subject of intense debate within the Tamil Nadu Congress.
Several Congress leaders, including party functionary Praveen Chakravarthy, Lok Sabha MP Manickam Tagore, and a few senior state-level leaders, have openly articulated this demand.
Even Girish Chodankar, Congress in-charge for Tamil Nadu, while speaking to journalists, remarked: “Who wouldn’t desire a share in power? But such matters must be discussed and decided between the leaderships of the two parties. The INDIA alliance between DMK and Congress is strong, and we have no intention of exploring alliances with any other party. The leadership will take the call.”
While DMK leadership has not officially or unofficially objected to these public statements, social media exchanges between some party functionaries, supporters, and Congress leaders, including Manickam Tagore, have intensified, leading to repeated confrontations over the issue of power-sharing.
This situation has become a source of concern not just within the alliance, but also for Congress leadership itself. In response, Tamil Nadu Congress president Selvaperunthagai issued a statement on 9 January.
In his statement, the Tamil Nadu Congress Committee president said, “In recent times, Union Home Minister Amit Shah has been making various attempts, using tactics of inducement, division, coercion, and intimidation, to forge alliances for BJP, which has been unable to gain a foothold in Tamil Nadu. Parties unwilling to join such alliances are being threatened via I-T, CBI, and ED raids. There is hardly any political party in Tamil Nadu today that has not been affected by the oppressive actions of the BJP government at Centre. By exploiting issues such as Tirupparankundram, RSS-driven communal and sectarian forces are attempting to gain a foothold in Tamil Nadu. Preventing this is a major responsibility of Congress.”
On the alliance with DMK, he stated, “From 2004 onwards, the secular progressive alliance formed by the DMK, Congress, and other parties has largely remained intact till 2024, except for one election in 2014. In particular, in the 2019 Lok Sabha elections, the 2021 Assembly elections, and the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, INDIA alliance secured resounding victories with the overwhelming support of the people of Tamil Nadu by defeating AIADMK and BJP, forces of communalism and corruption. INDIA alliance continues to be the people’s preferred coalition.”
He further cautioned, “If attempts to weaken INDIA alliance succeed, the beneficiaries will only be the AIADMK–BJP alliance. BJP is making aggressive efforts to establish itself in Tamil Nadu by using AIADMK. Congress workers must not, under any circumstances, allow attempts that weaken the INDIA alliance and undermine secular principles.”
Referring to recent developments, Selvaperunthagai added, “As stated by the AICC’s Tamil Nadu in-charge, Girish Chodankar, the 5-member committee constituted by Congress has already held initial discussions with DMK. Congress–DMK alliance remains strong. In such a situation, when decisions must be taken in consultation with the state and national leaderships, Congress members should refrain from expressing opinions on these matters in the public domain.”
He also said, “At the national level, our leader Rahul Gandhi is waging a fierce struggle in Parliament against BJP government led by PM Narendra Modi. Standing firmly behind him, 40 Lok Sabha MPs from Tamil Nadu and Puducherry belonging to DMK, Congress, and allied parties, along with 12 Rajya Sabha MPs—52 in total—are collectively confronting the communal BJP in Parliament as part of the INDIA alliance, despite facing severe repression. Understanding this political context, Congress workers must act with concern for Tamil Nadu’s welfare while also safeguarding national interests.”
Despite this directive, several senior Congress leaders continue to engage in confrontational exchanges with alliance partners on social media, further aggravating the leadership’s concerns.
Sources within the Tamil Nadu Congress leadership claim that some senior leaders are determined to remove Selvaperunthagai from his post and that these developments are part of a larger conspiracy towards that end. They allege that certain leaders are openly defying his directives and acting against the party’s interests.
Against this backdrop, Selvaperunthagai and other Congress leaders are hopeful that Rahul Gandhi’s visit to Tamil Nadu later this month will help bring clarity and closure to the ongoing internal discord.
(Edited by Amit Vasudev)
