After a lengthy meeting in Delhi, the Tamil Nadu Congress has decided to maintain its alliance with the DMK ahead of the upcoming state elections. Party leaders sought more seats while emphasizing the coalition's integrity amid internal differences.
In a four-and-a-half-hour meeting held in Delhi on Saturday, attended by 42 leaders from Tamil Nadu, the Congress party reaffirmed its commitment to the alliance with the DMK ahead of the state elections. Party president Mallikarjun Kharge and senior leader Rahul Gandhi addressed the gathering at the outset. Kharge highlighted concerns over state leaders expressing divergent views, with some advocating a break from the DMK to join actor Vijay's Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK), others pushing for more seats and a share in power, and some favoring the status quo.
The high command clarified that there was no need to exit the DMK, describing it as a successful coalition. The party plans to demand additional seats while safeguarding its interests at local bodies, districts, and the national level. In the 2021 assembly elections, the DMK allocated 25 seats to Congress, of which the party won 18 out of 234 total seats. In 2016, Congress contested 41 seats and secured eight victories. One state leader noted, "If we secure 40 seats this time and win 35, we could select our own Tamil Nadu leader for Rajya Sabha elections every two years without relying on coalition partners."
The meeting also addressed a controversial tweet by Praveen Chakravarthy, the party's data wing chief, posted on December 28, 2025, unfavorably comparing Tamil Nadu's debt to that of BJP-ruled Uttar Pradesh. Former Union finance minister P Chidambaram had previously criticized it. Questions were raised about leaders publicly taking differing stances on the alliance. Another leader stated, "The alliance will not break; we must focus on the bigger picture involving the Centre and the 2029 Lok Sabha elections."
Following the meeting, Tamil Nadu Congress Committee chief K Selvaperunthagai told reporters that the high command had instructed them against discussing alliance matters publicly. He added, "They've told us with a lot of concern that we shouldn’t tweet or release statements on the alliance. TNCC will uphold whatever AICC decides." A five-member Congress team had met DMK president and Chief Minister MK Stalin along with the ruling party's seat-sharing committee in Chennai on December 3 last year.
