New Delhi: As Tamil Nadu gears up for Assembly election, tensions continue to escalate between the ruling DMK and its principal ally, the Congress, with the latter’s regional leaders demanding to contest more seats and seeking a power sharing arrangement in state government.
For long, the Congress has been relegated to the sidelines in state politics. Now, a section of the state leadership wants a piece of the pie. The dispute centres on the Congress’ demands for a formal role in state government – including Cabinet berths – and the DMK leadership’s insistence on an administration without coalition.
Some reports suggest the Congress may even be exploring ties with actor Vijay’s new party TVK, reflecting unease with the DMK’s dominance, further irking the principal partner.
The disagreement intensified after some state Congress leaders publicly pressed for a share of executive power, arguing that electoral partnership should translate into governance roles.
There were reports on Congress regional units even passing resolutions demanding up to 30 per cent control in local bodies.
This has apparently offended the DMK, which insists that “power-sharing does not suit Tamil Nadu”.
Is this another example of the crumbling Opposition unity over the Congress’ bid at regional relevance, or of another rift within the ‘grand old party’ of India?
According to AICC incharge for Tamil Nadu, Girish Chodankar, the party high command is “seized of the matter and will take the necessary decision”, when asked by the media on possible steps against leaders like MP Manickam Tagore for their verbal attacks against the DMK.
Earlier, the Congress central leadership’s procrastination or indecision over organisational matters, including defiance and indiscipline, has cost the party dearly in other states.
Since the rise of C.N. Annadurai and the consolidation of Dravidian politics in the 1960s, the Congress moved from being the dominant political force in the Madras Presidency and early Tamil Nadu to an alliance dependent actor.
An issue attributed to the Congress party’s slide in the state is its stance on the imposition of Hindi since the time of Madras Presidency, which is said to have gone a long way to cost the party its political ground in the state, paving the way for Dravidian dominance.
Since violent protests erupted against the decision in mid-1960, the Congress has avoided pushing Hindi in Tamil Nadu, aligning with regional sentiments to preserve its alliance with Dravidian parties.
The Congress, thus oscillated between attempts to revive its independent appeal and pragmatic alliances.
The personalisation of regional politics under leaders such as M.G. Ramachandran, and later J. Jayalalithaa and M. Karunanidhi further constrained the Congress’ recovery.
The party alternated between alliances with the DMK and the AIADMK, extracting ministerial positions and central patronage when in coalition, but rarely commanding a decisive vote share on its own.
That era saw the Congress leverage national relevance to remain politically useful to regional partners even as its state organisation weakened.
The pattern entrenched Congress as a tactical ally rather than a mass movement in the state.
Meanwhile, electoral setbacks at the state level and the erosion of traditional vote banks elsewhere accelerated the Congress’ organisational decline.
With the DMK returning to power under M.K. Stalin, the Congress has been a key ally in the ruling front but has faced renewed friction over power sharing and ministerial representation.
The current development reflects public disagreements within Congress ranks and between the state unit and the DMK over the extent of the grand old party’s role in a state government that Stalin insists will not be a coalition government.
(IANS)
