Senior Congress leader and MP Karti Chidambaram on Friday, 6 February 2026, while speaking to the press, said the DMK had not yet constituted its committee for alliance talks, even days after preliminary discussions, and asserted that the Congress plays a crucial value-addition role in any electoral coalition in Tamil Nadu.
Addressing reporters amid ongoing speculation over seat-sharing and alliance dynamics, Chidambaram said questions about delays in negotiations should be directed at the DMK. He pointed out that DMK parliamentary party leader Kanimozhi Karunanidhi had held direct talks with the Congress leadership, but that progress had stalled thereafter.
“It has been nine days since those talks took place. They said they would form a committee, but that committee has still not been constituted. On our side, the committee is ready. We have already appointed a five-member team for discussions. Once they form their committee, we are ready to talk,” he said, adding that the delay in forming the panel lay with the DMK.
Responding to remarks from political commentators and DMK functionaries that the Congress had weakened electorally, Chidambaram said leaders from both parties often made sharp comments but that such exchanges should not distract from formal negotiations.
“Both are large parties with many members, and individuals will have different opinions. After leadership-level talks, we have made our position clear – we have formed our committee; they should form theirs; then seat-sharing and other matters can be decided through committee discussions,” he said.
On whether senior Congress leaders were monitoring the public exchanges, Chidambaram said he was unsure how seriously such remarks were being viewed. “Many may find such remarks entertaining, but whether they are paying attention to them – I have my doubts,” he noted.
He dismissed suggestions of confusion within the alliance, stating that the situation could be resolved if the DMK immediately constituted its committee and began formal talks with the Congress panel. With elections approaching, he acknowledged that “in these two months, we will have to tolerate many such opinions circulating on social media.”
On statements that the alliance could win only if both parties remained together, Chidambaram agreed, saying, “Both parties know that only if they remain together in the alliance can both win.”
Addressing questions on alliance arithmetic in Puducherry, he said no decisions had been taken yet. He noted that Congress leader V Vaithilingam was handling discussions there and that talks had not formally begun.
Chidambaram also reacted to reports about high application numbers for party tickets in actor Vijay’s Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK), saying enthusiasm around star figures did not automatically translate into electoral success. “Fan bases can become support bases. Support bases can become vote banks. But whether a vote bank converts into seats – that I am not sure about,” he said.
Reflecting on the Congress party’s position in Tamil Nadu, Chidambaram acknowledged its standalone limitations but emphasized its strategic importance in coalitions.
“Since 1967, we have not been directly in power. We are not in a position to contest alone and win – I accept that. But we are a value-addition party. Only if we are there does the alliance get the stamp of secularism. Without us, that secular stamp cannot be firmly applied,” he said.
He added that the Congress should be viewed as a multiplier rather than merely an additive force within alliances, particularly in terms of minority confidence and ideological positioning.
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