Senior Congress leader P. Chidambaram on Saturday asserted that the INDIA alliance would continue to remain intact despite the political split between the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam and the Indian National Congress in Tamil Nadu following the latter’s support to actor-politician Vijay and his Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam.
Speaking to media, Chidambaram said he hoped not only that the DMK would remain part of the INDIA bloc, but also that Vijay’s TVK could eventually be persuaded to join the Opposition alliance.
The remarks came after dramatic political developments in Tamil Nadu, where Vijay submitted letters of support from 120 MLAs to Governor A. V. Arlekar — two above the majority mark in the 234-member Assembly — paving the way for him to be sworn in as the state’s next chief minister on Sunday.
The TVK managed to secure the numbers after receiving support from the Congress, which won five seats in alliance with the DMK during the elections. The move triggered a sharp political fallout between the long-time allies, with the DMK accusing the Congress of “betrayal”.
The split has fuelled speculation over whether the DMK could distance itself from the national Opposition coalition, formally known as the Indian National Developmental Inclusive Alliance (INDIA).
However, Chidambaram dismissed concerns over the future of the alliance.
“In my view, the INDIA Bloc should exist. And I hope it will exist because M. K. Stalin, the President of the DMK, has not said a word against the INDIA alliance,” Chidambaram told media.
He stressed that Stalin’s criticism was directed specifically at the Congress-DMK partnership in Tamil Nadu and not at the broader national coalition.
“He has not said anything averse or adverse to the INDIA alliance. He has only said that the Congress and the DMK have parted ways,” Chidambaram said.
The veteran Congress leader pointed out that political rivals at the state level have continued to coexist within the INDIA bloc at the national level.
Citing examples from Kerala and West Bengal, he noted that parties like the CPI and CPM remain part of the alliance despite opposing the Congress in state politics.
“The best example is Kerala. CPI and CPM are opposed to the Congress in Kerala. Recently, the LDF was defeated by the UDF. But at the Delhi level, the INDIA alliance, the CPI and the CPM are part of the bloc,” he explained.
He also referred to Mamata Banerjee, saying the West Bengal chief minister had reiterated her commitment to strengthening the INDIA alliance even after electoral competition with the Congress in her state.
Chidambaram further expressed optimism that Vijay’s TVK could also become part of the Opposition coalition in the future.
“I hope that the DMK will remain in the INDIA alliance. I even hope that the TVK can be persuaded to join the INDIA alliance,” he said.
Meanwhile, the political divorce between the DMK and Congress became more visible after Kanimozhi reportedly wrote to the Lok Sabha Speaker seeking a change in seating arrangements for DMK MPs, who currently sit next to Congress members in Parliament.
The DMK, which won 59 seats in the Tamil Nadu Assembly elections, is currently the fourth-largest constituent of the INDIA bloc with 22 MPs in the Lok Sabha. The Congress secured five seats in the state.
After it became clear that TVK’s tally of 108 seats would fall short of the majority mark, the Congress extended support to Vijay. The TVK chief later held negotiations with Left parties, the IUML, and the VCK to consolidate a post-poll alliance and overcome his first major political challenge since entering electoral politics.
Earlier on Saturday, Stalin criticised the Congress for backing Vijay without consulting the DMK leadership.
In a post on X, the DMK chief said Congress MLAs who won as part of the alliance did not even visit the DMK headquarters to express gratitude before severing ties with the party.
At the same time, Stalin praised leaders from the Left parties and the Viduthalai Chiruthaigal Katchi for continuing to stand with the DMK on issues concerning Tamil Nadu and public welfare.