Fresh signs of internal dissent have reportedly emerged within the Tamil Nadu unit of the Congress following the confirmation of the party’s alliance with the DMK ahead of the 2026 Assembly elections. According to discussions within party circles, the decision has triggered dissatisfaction among a section of Congress functionaries who had favoured an electoral understanding with actor Vijay’s Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK).
Sources within the party indicated that several Congress leaders aligned with the pro-TVK camp had conveyed their concerns to AICC in-charge for Tamil Nadu Girish Chodankar, stating that the development had negatively impacted the political image of Lok Sabha Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi.
Senior Congress leaders were reported as saying that a section of the Tamil Nadu Congress leadership had preferred an alliance with TVK, which had indicated that it would offer Congress a share in governance if the parties contested together.
According to the accounts shared within party circles, Rahul Gandhi, Congress General Secretary K.C. Venugopal, and Tamil Nadu in-charge Girish Chodankar were initially open to the idea of an alliance with Vijay’s party.
However, the proposal reportedly faced resistance from another section of the Congress leadership. Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge, Tamil Nadu Congress Committee president K. Selvaperunthagai, and former Union minister P. Chidambaram were said to have favoured continuing the alliance with the DMK.
Party insiders indicated that this group actively worked to prevent a tie-up between the Congress and TVK and ultimately succeeded in ensuring that the Congress remained in the DMK-led alliance.
Following the development, Congress functionary Mylai Ashok reportedly organised the distribution of sweets at the party’s state headquarters, Sathyamurthy Bhavan in Chennai, to mark the continuation of the DMK–Congress alliance.
At the same time, another faction within the party expressed dissatisfaction with the decision by putting up posters opposing the alliance with the DMK.
Amid this backdrop, Congress functionaries believed to be supportive of a TVK alliance met Girish Chodankar at a hotel on Radhakrishnan Salai in Chennai. During the interaction, they reportedly conveyed that Rahul Gandhi’s decision to initiate discussions on a potential alliance with TVK but withdraw at the final stage reflected a lack of political maturity.
They also stated that the episode had resulted only in damage to Rahul Gandhi’s public image.
Responding to the concerns, Chodankar reportedly acknowledged that he too was not entirely satisfied with the seat-sharing arrangement reached with the DMK. However, he is said to have advised party members that the situation must be handled calmly and that the decision should be accepted in the larger interest of the party.
Subscribe to our channels on Telegram, WhatsApp, and Instagram and get the best stories of the day delivered to you personally.
