A fresh war of words has broken out within the INDIA alliance in Tamil Nadu after the Congress renewed its demand for a share in state power, triggering a sharp public response from a senior DMK leader. The immediate flashpoint came on Sunday when DMK MLA and Madurai urban district secretary G. Thalapathi launched a scathing attack on Congress MPs B. Manickam Tagore from Virudhunagar and S. Jothimani from Karur.
DMK MLA Targets Congress MPs At Public Meeting
Addressing a public gathering, Thalapathi accused the two MPs of creating avoidable friction within the alliance by repeatedly raising the issue of power-sharing in Tamil Nadu.
He went a step further by urging the DMK leadership to deny them tickets in future Lok Sabha elections, arguing that their conduct undermined coalition unity despite the benefits they had gained from the INDIA bloc arrangement. Thalapathi maintained that the Congress leaders had secured their parliamentary victories with alliance backing but were now pushing demands that could unsettle the partnership, as per New Indian Express.
‘Without DMK, There Is No INDIA Bloc’
Thalapathi also questioned the Congress’s priorities, alleging that its leaders were focused more on short-term political gains than on strengthening the party at the grassroots level in Tamil Nadu. He contrasted this with the DMK’s consistent opposition to the BJP and its ideological stance on federalism and state rights.
Warning about the BJP’s efforts to expand its influence in the state, he credited Chief Minister M.K. Stalin for firmly defending Tamil identity and resisting what he described as the Centre’s overreach. Stressing the importance of regional leadership within the opposition alliance, Thalapathi asserted that the INDIA bloc’s existence depends heavily on key regional leaders.
“Without the DMK, there is no INDIA bloc,” he said, adding that figures such as M.K. Stalin, Mamata Banerjee, and Akhilesh Yadav form the backbone of the national coalition.
Seat Talks Intensify As Allies Stake Claims
While the DMK and Congress continue to be partners in the INDIA alliance at the national level, the exchange has highlighted the pressure points that emerge when regional power dynamics come into play. With Assembly elections on the horizon, seat-sharing negotiations among allies are expected to intensify.
Adding another layer to the evolving political equation, sources in actor-politician Kamal Haasan’s Makkal Needhi Maiam (MNM) indicated that the party is seeking a “respectable number of seats” in the upcoming polls, reported The Hindu. On Monday, DMK ministers P.K. Sekarbabu and M.P. Saminathan met Haasan at MNM headquarters in Alwarpet, Chennai. According to party insiders, the meeting was informal but included discussions on MNM’s expectations.
