‘Backstabbers’: INDIA bloc cracks out in open; DMK attacks ally Congress over support to TVK’s Vijay in Tamil Nadu | India News
NEW DELHI: Fissures within the Bharat bloc came into sharp focus after the Tamil Nadu verdict, led by MK Stalin. Dravidian Munnetra Kazgam The actor-politician has lashed out at his ally Congress for supporting him victory and his party Tamilga Vetri Kazhagam. The DMK termed the Congress move a “stab in the back”, indicating serious pressure within the opposition alliance.DMK joint secretary and spokesperson Saravanan Annadurai called the move by its Bharat bloc ally Congress a “stupid decision” and driven by the need to “satisfy some ego”.Defending the DMK’s past support to the Congress, he called for the support of party supremo Stalin. Rahul Gandhi. He said, “In 2016, the Congress won a good number of seats, though it was not in proportion to their allotted seats. The BJP-RSS was mocking Rahul Gandhi, calling him names. At that time our leader, MK StalinRahul Gandhi was nominated as Prime Minister, which was a bold move. Since then, Rahul Gandhi’s graph has gone up in 2024… It’s DMK’s hard work on the ground, DMK party’s wealth on the ground and that’s why they managed to pull these five seats. I call it a stupid decision. TV must need 11 seats to cross the majority. AIADMK, with 47 seats, is willing to give unconditional support. Who will you listen to when you win? Someone with five seats or 43 seats? So Congress, I think, has taken a very bad decision. Just to feed some ego, and they’ll regret it immediately…”Doubling down, Annadurai added, “We wish Vijay the best when he takes oath on May 7. Congress has offered its support to TVK, and that’s why we call it a backstab… Congress has decided to take sides and support TVK, and the reasons cited by them are not credible. They say they want to keep BJP and why RSS should make this call… It is a full-hearted decision by the Congress, which could send ripples across the country in the sense of other alliance partners. If Congress continues to be so unreliable, within a day of the results, they are openly going against the mandate. What effect do you think it will create? Akhilesh YadavTejashwi Yadav, Uddhav Thackeray and others? We have never failed the Congress…”Earlier, the DMK spokesperson posted a cryptic message in an indirect attack on its now estranged ally Congress – writing “The Backstabbers.”Meanwhile, Congress MP Manikam Thakur has struck a relatively amicable tone in the DMK-Congress struggle, citing the BJP as the main rival in justifying ties with Vijay. He said, “The verdict has gone against the DMK government. Half of the cabinet ministers have lost their seats. We have suffered collateral damage for no fault of ours. Now, the BJP is eyeing Tamil Nadu. The question before us is clear: Should we stand with people who have rejected the people’s verdict, or should we unite to stop fighting Tamils and BJP against BJP?”The political churn marks the cinematic election debut of mega-movie star Vijay, whose TVK has disrupted the long-standing dominance of the DMK and AIADMK. Emerging as the single largest party with 108 seats in the 234-member assembly, the TVK fell short of a majority but fundamentally changed the political arithmetic of Tamil Nadu.With the DMK pushed out of power and facing a weakened position, the Congress’ willingness to support the TVK, despite having just six seats, has intensified speculation of a realignment. The move not only threatens the DMK-Congress partnership in the state but also raises broader questions about the cohesion within the Bharat bloc.
