Congress has announced that it is ending its alliance with the DMK and will instead align with the Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK). The party leadership said the partnership with TVK will extend to the forthcoming local body elections and the next Lok Sabha election.
The report recalls the long and often strained history between the DMK and Congress. During the 2004–2014 UPA period, the DMK faced allegations linked to the 2G spectrum case, and leaders including A. Raja and Kanimozhi were arrested and jailed in Tihar, which the DMK said caused deep resentment.
In 2013, the DMK announced its exit from the Congress-led alliance, citing reasons including the Sri Lankan Tamil issue. In the 2014 parliamentary election, the DMK and Congress contested separately and both suffered defeats, while the AIADMK, contesting without an alliance, won 37 seats.
The two parties reunited for the 2016 election, and apart from that brief break, their alliance had continued for about 22 years, the report said. It added that Congress’ latest decision to offer unconditional support to a Vijay-led TVK government has now snapped the DMK-Congress partnership, surprising DMK leaders—especially after Congress recently secured a Rajya Sabha seat with DMK support, with Trichy’s Christopher Thilak becoming an MP.
