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Tamil Nadu Congress Committee president K Selvaperunthagai, on Friday, January 9, instructed party members not to make public statements about alliances until an official decision is announced by the party leadership.
The directive comes amid speculation about a possible Congress alliance with Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK), the party led by actor-turned-politician Vijay.
In the announcement, Selvaperunthagai pointed to what he described as the Bharatiya Janata Party s recent attempts to gain a foothold in Tamil Nadu politics. These include, he said, the alleged misuse of central agencies such as the Enforcement Directorate (ED), Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), and the Income Tax Department to pressure political leaders into alliances. He added that no party was exempt from such tactics and cited the Thiruparankundram conflict, which he said involved Hindutva outfits, as an example.
Highlighting the long-standing alliance between the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) and the Congress from 2004 to 2024, Selvaperunthagai referred to election outcomes in 2004 and 2021 (excluding 2014). He said these results demonstrate that the INDIA alliance enjoys strong public support in Tamil Nadu, while the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) has repeatedly faced defeat in the state.
Pointing towards alliance of Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam(DMK) and Congress from 2004 to 2024 and output of elections of 2004, 2021 except 2014 the announcement says Indian National Developmental Inclusive Alliance(INDIA) won a great victory in Tamilnadu and National Democratic Alliance(NDA) lost in Tamilnadu so this proves INDIA stands as the alliance supported by people of Tamilnadu.
The statement said, “Any action that weakens the INDIA alliance will only benefit the BJP and AIADMK combine and should not be allowed by the Congress party. The Congress five-member committee, under the leadership of Girish Chodankar, is still in talks with the DMK regarding the alliance. The TNCC is also in consultation with the All India Congress Committee (AICC). Until these discussions are concluded, party members should avoid speaking publicly about alliance matters.”
The announcement concluded by referring to Congress leader Rahul Gandhi’s opposition to the BJP-led government in Parliament. It noted that he is supported by 12 Rajya Sabha members and 40 Lok Sabha members from various parties, including the DMK and Congress. Party members were urged to keep the nation’s welfare in mind and act responsibly.