Sources in the Congress said Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M.K. Stalin has urged Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar to ensure Rahul Gandhi responds to TVK leader Vijay’s claim about the “real Congress”. The development comes amid renewed friction over alliance messaging ahead of the Assembly election.
According to the report, there had been talk that Rahul Gandhi preferred an alliance with TVK. Leaders close to him, including Praveen Chakravarthy and MP Manickam Tagore, spoke publicly on the subject, while senior leaders such as Sonia Gandhi, Mallikarjun Kharge and P. Chidambaram were cited as backing the continuation of the DMK–Congress alliance.
Praveen Chakravarthy, in a recent interview, expressed dissatisfaction over the alliance not materialising with TVK, using a metaphor contrasting a modest offer with a grand feast. He also said he met Vijay only with the high command’s approval.
On April 8, while campaigning in Tirunelveli, Vijay alleged that Stalin had “put Congress in his shirt pocket” by paying large sums, but claimed the “real Congress” stood with TVK. Congress leaders said Stalin, after speaking to Shivakumar during his Chennai visit, wanted Rahul to campaign in Tirunelveli, Thoothukudi and Kanyakumari and directly rebut Vijay’s charge to prevent Congress votes from shifting.
Shivakumar later told reporters in Chennai that Vijay was an “immature politician” and insisted Congress was with the DMK, adding that Vijay might be referring to the Tamil Maanila Congress. At a campaign meeting in Maraimalai Nagar with Stalin, he also said the DMK–Congress alliance was a winning partnership that could not be split by “mushrooms that sprouted yesterday”, without naming Vijay.
