Tamil Nadu Congress Committee chief K Selvaperunthagai, on Thursday, November 20, signalled that the existing Congress–DMK alliance would remain intact, effectively shutting down rumours of a possible Congress–TVK tie-up. He reiterated that the INDIA bloc is “strong” and continues to stand united.
Addressing the issue openly at a DMK event attended by Deputy Chief Minister Udhayanidhi Stalin, Selvaperunthagai dismissed the ongoing chatter surrounding a supposed Congress–TVK equation. He added that formal announcements would be made in the coming days to “put an end” to the speculation.
Talk of an alliance had intensified after several Congress leaders were seen engaging with TVK chief Vijay, with some within the party expressing interest in leveraging the actor’s popularity in Tamil Nadu, Kerala, and Puducherry ahead of the upcoming elections.
Earlier, Congress MP Manickam Tagore had acknowledged Vijay as an emerging force challenging the INDIA bloc’s opponents in Tamil Nadu, stating that the Congress respects anyone taking a stand against the BJP and RSS. While the party welcomed Vijay’s opposition to the SIR process in Tamil Nadu, Tagore noted that it was too early to discuss a formal partnership with TVK—though the possibility had not been completely ruled out at the time.
However, despite TVK’s apparent openness to an alliance, the Congress now seems disinclined to alter its current partnership with the DMK.