Published Apr 10, 2026 | 12:00 PM ⚊ Updated Apr 10, 2026 | 12:00 PM
Congress MP Manickam Tagore (Wikimedia Commons)
Synopsis: DMDK joining the Secular Progressive Alliance has strengthened the front, said Congress MP Manickam Tagore. He expressed confidence in retaining the alliance’s voter base in the 23 April Assembly elections in Tamil Nadu. He called the contest ideological and felt that Vijay’s political entry had energised voters. He alleged misuse of institutions by the BJP while asserting that Tamil Nadu will reject “hate politics.”
He may have been the harshest critic of DMK’s dynamics with Congress and other allies, but as Tamil Nadu elections draw close, Congress MP Manickam Tagore is putting alliance above all.
With Tamil Nadu gearing up for the 2026 Assembly elections, alliance equations, internal party dynamics, and new political entrants are shaping the electoral narrative. The inclusion of Desiya Murpokku Dravida Kazhagam (DMDK) in the DMK-led Secular Progressive Alliance and actor Vijay’s political entry have added more vibrancy to the political landscape.
In an exclusive interaction with South First, Congress MP and senior leader Manickam Tagore speaks in detail about alliance strategy, Congress’s internal challenges, ideological battles, and the role of national leadership in the state.
Q: The DMDK contested against your alliance last time. Now, it is contesting as part of your alliance. What has changed?
A: Nothing has changed. It has changed and joined the Secular Progressive Alliance under Chief Minister MK Stalin. Therefore, we believe that the alliance, as a cohesive unit, has become an added advantage for us.
We believe that DMDK is a cadre-based party formed by the Captain’s (Vijayakanth) initiatives and sacrifices. Therefore, there is a support base for him, which will be transferable to the Secular Progressive Alliance also. We are confident that this will add advantage to the alliance.
Q: Is there any particular strategy behind onboarding DMDK?
A: It (including DMDK) is the DMK leadership’s decision. We welcome it because DMDK has been a party that Captain Vijayakanth has formed. And the Captain has been ideologically close to the Congress party. For electoral reasons, he has been away from Congress.
But, we believe that the DMDK leadership coming back to the Secular Progressive Alliance and the INDIA bloc is a very welcome sign. Nationally, they will now have a Rajya Sabha member.
We believe that the alliance will work in Tamil Nadu as a cohesive unit. We have fought four elections together, and the DMK, VCK and the other parties are all together in all these polls. And this time, it is an added advantage to have DMDK in the alliance.
Q: The Congress party is contesting in 28 seats. Earlier, you said that there is an inconsistency and issues in selecting candidates. What is the situation now? Do you believe that Congress can win all 28 seats?
A: We should have selected better seats. But now everything is done. Candidates are announced. Now, it is the alliance that is more important than the Congress’s seats.
Therefore, we are in my parliament seat. Sivakasi is the Congress seat. DMDK Vijay Prabhakar is fighting from Varadhanagar. All others are DMK seats. We are united in our fight, and we want the alliance to win.
Q: There are constant conflicts within the Congress party. There have been several media reports. Your state president also announced that he is going to step down from the party leadership. What will be the future of your party after the election?
A: Congress will have a better future in Tamil Nadu. We all know that Congress is an idea that always has a connection with the people of Tamil Nadu. Rahul Gandhi gets the people’s support. In Tamil Nadu, more than 65% of the people support Mr Gandhi. Rahul Gandhi has a huge appeal in Tamil Nadu. But the Congress party is unable to transfer that appeal to favour the party. We should work out a way after the elections to transfer the support Rahul Gandhi has to the Congress party.
Q: Will you become the state president after this election?
A: My work is like the whip of the Lok Sabha. I have been given a role in parliament. I have been given a role in rebuilding the party in Andhra Pradesh and Andaman. I am happy with whatever work the Congress party assigns. I am a committed Congress worker who always does what the Congress leadership tells me. Rahul Gandhi has assigned me tasks till now. I will continue to do whatever work he assigns.
Q: You have also sent a letter, resigning from the post of election in charge. What is the real reason behind the decision?
A: At that time, I had mentioned it to the Honourable Congress President. That chapter is closed now. We had moved on. Now the selection of candidates has come. It was at that time of seat identification. I had a different view. We should have got better seats like Tenkasi and Virudhachalam.
They should not have been handed over to other parties. They should have been with Congress. We should have had better seats. I expressed this to the Congress President. I had asked him that I should be relieved from the responsibilities of the election management.
I should concentrate on my Parliament seat. You have seen me in Virudhunagar. We just opened our office for the Secular Progressive Alliance candidate from the DMDK.
Q: Vijay’s presence is more significant. Will his presence impact the DMK or the Congress voter base in Tamil Nadu?
A: The dynamics have changed. We all know that old electoral arithmetic doesn’t stand. Because of Mr Vijay’s entry, a lot of voters are interested in the political structure. It is a good thing. Anyone entering politics and adding to the political democracy is a very important thing.
People should not lose hope in electoral democracy. His entry will add an advantage to the activity in the political arena. New people and youngsters believe that this is the system, and how it works.
I feel that Mr Vijay will have an impact. We need to wait and see how he will impact the DMK, Congress or other parties. But we are hopeful that our alliance has a 42% vote share in the previous parliamentary elections.
We feel that we will be the largest block when it comes to vote share. We will maintain that vote share. We feel that the people of Tamil Nadu will support us in the election, since our programmes as well as our records have been clear.
Q: Is Congress still firm on its demand for sharing power?
A: Congress President (Mallikarjun) Kharge has said that we should pause that thing and we should leave that decision to him. Therefore, as a committed Congress worker, I have left it to him. I don’t want to talk till the results are announced.
Q: So we can expect you to demand a share in power after the results are announced?
A: Congress President Kharge is the person who is authorised to do it. We accept whatever the Congress President decides. It may be Mr. (Sitaram) Kesari, it may be Mrs Sonia Gandhi, it may be Mr Rahul Gandhi, or it may be Mr Kharge. I believe that the Congress President will take that decision whenever the time is ripe.
Q: What do you feel is good for Congress in Tamil Nadu?
A: I have expressed it to the Congress President. I have articulated it to the media before 17 January. It was on that day that we had been asked not to speak about it in public. But whenever the DMK or some colleagues attack Congress, we reply. We are in an alliance with them. We hope that the alliance wins and forms a government in Tamil Nadu.
Q: Will the BJP–AIADMK alliance affect the Secular Progressive Alliance?
A: Yes, they will, because they have huge machinery and huge resources. They have the CBI, ED and I-T under their control. They are misusing those agencies. It’s a battle between (Nathuram) Godse’s ideology and the ideology of Kamaraj and Anna (CN Annadurai).
We are the followers of Kamaraj and Anna, and they (BJP-AIADMK) are the followers of Godse. It’s a fight to stop the Godse ideology from entering St. George Fort.
The RSS and BJP wanted a backdoor entry into Tamil Nadu’s political arena through power sharing, which is being controlled by Amit Shah. We are going to the people, asking whether they should vote for Godse’s ideology, Kamaraj or Anna’s ideology.
This is the story we are telling in Vrindanagar. We are very clear that the people will reject Godse’s ideology. Godse’s ideology will be rejected in Tamil Nadu. People don’t allow hate to have roots in Tamil Nadu.
Unfortunately, Mr Palanisamy is covering up this ideology. It is unfortunate because he is from an MGR-based party, and MGR’s party has never covered up for Godse’s ideology. They will be rejected by the people of Tamil Nadu.
Q: Is there any link between the BJP and the recent change of the Chief Secretary and DGP by the Election Commission?
A: Yes, the Election Commission is controlled by the BJP. The ECI and (CEC) Gyanesh Kumar, and the previous Chief Commissioner Rajiv, have been working as volunteers for the BJP. Therefore, they will misuse the Election Commission. They are misusing. They don’t have the right to change the Chief Secretary who has not completed his term. There are no major complaints against him. But they have done it. They have misused their power. And we all know that the BJP and Mr Amit Shah are famous for misusing power.
(Edited by Majnu Babu).
