The Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) on Wednesday, 6 May launched a sharp attack on the Indian National Congress (Congress) after it decided to extend support to Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK) chief C. Joseph Vijay in the post-election political realignment in Tamil Nadu. The move has fractured the Secular Progressive Alliance (SPA), with DMK leaders accusing Congress of betraying both the alliance mandate and the voters who backed it.

Baalu's Broadside Against Congress

DMK Treasurer T. R. Baalu issued a strongly worded statement accusing Congress of abandoning the alliance and defecting its five MLAs to the opposition camp — despite contesting and winning as part of the DMK-led alliance. Baalu said the Congress statement had exposed the party's "true nature," which, according to him, had remained hidden for a long time.

"Whenever the Congress party faced difficult situations or crises, the DMK stood firmly beside it as a close ally. We paid a heavy political price for that support, but accepted it wholeheartedly," Baalu said.

A Long Alliance — And Its Limits

Baalu recalled decades of political solidarity between the two parties, citing DMK's ties with Sonia Gandhi, late former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, and Congress leader Rahul Gandhi. He noted that DMK President M. K. Stalin had consistently stood by Rahul Gandhi both politically and personally.

Notably, Baalu recalled that Stalin had proposed Rahul Gandhi as the prime ministerial candidate during the 2019 Lok Sabha elections — at a time when even the Congress leadership was reportedly hesitant to officially project him. This history, Baalu argued, makes the current Congress move all the more stinging.

DMK Draws a Parallel With BJP

In a pointed comparison, Baalu alleged that Congress had now adopted tactics similar to the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) to "capture power through shortcuts" in Tamil Nadu. He described the move as a "blatant betrayal" of voters who cast their ballots believing a DMK-led government would be formed.

"The attempt to mask opportunism with a policy facade is laughable," Baalu said. "Congress can support whoever it wants. That is its prerogative. But political ethics lie in respecting the mandate of the people who voted."

DMK's Defiant Stand

Despite the setback, Baalu asserted that the DMK was not new to either defeat or betrayal. "Time will give the answer," he said, signalling that the party intends to contest the political fallout rather than retreat. This is not the first time the DMK-Congress alliance has faced strain — the two parties have had periodic friction over seat-sharing and policy alignment — but the open support for a rival formation marks a new low in their relationship.

With Tamil Nadu's post-election realignment still fluid, the Congress decision to back TVK's Vijay could reshape opposition coalitions ahead of future electoral contests in the state.