The Congress and the DMK have shared a rocky partnership in the history of Tamil Nadu’s politics, but their recent split could mark a setback for the opposition INDIA bloc.
Congress leader Rahul Gandhi with DMK chief MK Stalin. (File)
The outcome of the recent Tamil Nadu Assembly elections threw up another political shocker beyond Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam’s (TVK) unexpected majority: the end of a decades-long alliance between the Congress and the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK).
After TVK emerged as the single largest party in Tamil Nadu with 108 seats out of the total 234, the Congress ditched the DMK to extend the support of five MLAs to facilitate the government formation. The DMK made no attempts to hide its anger over the move, labelling the Congress as “backstabbers.”
The decision marked yet another rupture in Tamil Nadu elections, as the Congress and the DMK had been partners since 1971. The election has brought an end to one of the most steadfast political alliances and created further uncertainty in the stability of the opposition INDIA bloc.
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A History Of DMK-Congress Alliance
Things between the DMK and the Congress did not start on a friendly note. In fact, the DMK first came to power in 1967 by defeating the Congress on ideological issues, particularly the resistance towards what the former called a Hindi imposition. The DMK also outperformed the Congress in the 1967 general election by winning 36 out of Tamil Nadu’s 39 seats.
After the Congress split into two parties in 1969, the DMK chose to ally with the Indira Gandhi-led faction in the 1971 general elections. Even after sweeping the polls, the alliance did not last long, as Indira Gandhi allied with the AIADMK in 1977 after MG Ramachandran stormed to power. The new alliance swept the state during the post-Emergency general elections in 1977, even if Indira Gandhi was removed from the Centre.
Relations between the Congress and AIADMK soured when MGR refused to endorse Indira Gandhi’s bid to return to the Lok Sabha through a bypoll in Thanjavur, prompting the DMK to ally with the Congress once again in 1980. However, the Congress chose to go with AIADMK once again in 1984, and the relationship continued till MGR’s demise in 1987.
READ MORE: ‘Changed Circumstances’: DMK Seeks New Lok Sabha Seating Arrangement After Split With Congress
BJP’s Entry In Tamil Nadu Politics
The Congress remained as an ally of the AIADMK when Jayalalithaa was in power, but they parted ways after the latter chose to join hands with the Atal Bihari Vajpayee-led BJP. This too did not last long as the AIADMK parted ways and brought down the BJP government at the Centre, then allied with the DMK, in a no-confidence motion in 2004.
The DMK later withdrew its support from the BJP and became an ally of the Congress-led United Progressive Alliance (UPA). This relationship continued just before Prime Minister Narendra Modi-led BJP stormed into power in 2014, when the DMK broke ties over the Sri Lankan Tamils.
After both parties were routed in the Lok Sabha election, they proceeded to resume ties ahead of the 2016 Assembly election. The DMK later became an important part of the opposition INDIA bloc after MK Stalin became Chief Minister in 2021, endorsing Rahul Gandhi as the PM candidate against Modi
What Next For INDIA Bloc?
After the public mandate came overwhelmingly in the TVK’s favour, the Congress worked quickly to prevent the BJP from expanding its influence in the southern state. With the BJP pushing the AIADMK for an alliance, the Congress saw no other alternative than to join hands with Vijay’s party.
Congress’s decision to break the alliance marked the resumption of a vicious cycle that had long dominated the state’s politics. With the BJP storming to victory in West Bengal and retaining power in Assam, the decision is expected to further weaken the INDIA bloc.
With the influence of Mamata Banerjee and MK Stalin diminished after their respective defeats, a possible DMK departure would leave Congress with fewer options to counter the BJP, which is now in power in 18 states. Furthermore, the Congress is likely to get less support in the Parliament to take on the BJP’s policies, with DMK visibly frustrated by the “betrayal.”
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