DMK Rejects Bid to Share INDIA Bloc With TVK

• DMK rejects VCK’s proposal to accommodate both DMK and TVK in the INDIA bloc.
• Party accuses Congress of betraying the alliance after the Assembly elections.
• Congress backs broader opposition unity against the BJP.
• Row exposes growing divisions within the INDIA alliance in Tamil Nadu.

GG News Bureau
Chennai, 12th July: The rift within the INDIA bloc in Tamil Nadu has widened after the DMK firmly rejected a proposal by its former ally, the Viduthalai Chiruthaigal Katchi (VCK), to accommodate both the DMK and Chief Minister Vijay’s Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK) under the national opposition alliance.

The proposal, put forward by VCK chief Thol Thirumavalavan, suggested adopting a Kerala and West Bengal-style arrangement where parties remain rivals in state politics while cooperating at the national level against the BJP.

The Congress backed the suggestion, arguing that opposition unity should take precedence over state-level political differences. However, the DMK dismissed the idea, accusing the Congress of betraying the alliance after the recent Assembly elections.

DMK MP Ganapathy P. Rajkumar alleged that the Congress had “backstabbed” the party by joining hands with the TVK to secure ministerial positions after the elections.

“I don’t think the DMK leadership will accept the VCK’s proposal. The Kerala and West Bengal model won’t work in Tamil Nadu,” he said.

Rajkumar argued that Tamil Nadu’s political landscape had changed significantly with the emergence of the TVK as a major political force, making comparisons with Kerala and West Bengal inappropriate.

He also questioned whether the TVK, which currently has no representation in Parliament, should be considered part of the INDIA bloc, while reiterating that the BJP remained the DMK’s principal ideological opponent.

The DMK leader acknowledged that relations with the Congress remained strained following the latter’s decision to end its nine-year alliance with the party after the Assembly elections.

Congress MP Jothimani, however, defended the proposal, saying opposition parties must remain united to counter the BJP.

“It’s about India and its future. We need to walk together to save the country,” she said, adding that the issue could be revisited if the TVK secures representation in Parliament.

DMK spokesperson TKS Elangovan also rejected the proposal, asking the VCK to first persuade Chief Minister Vijay, who has repeatedly described the DMK as his principal political rival.

With the Congress and VCK advocating a broader anti-BJP alliance and the DMK refusing to overlook what it describes as political betrayal, the latest developments have highlighted growing fault lines within the INDIA bloc in Tamil Nadu ahead of future electoral contests.