Senior leaders of the Tamil Nadu Congress Committee (TNCC) are hopeful that the party’s national leadership will take an early decision on the power-sharing push with the DMK ahead of the assembly elections in the state.
All India Congress Committee (AICC) president Mallikarjun Kharge and senior leaders, including Rahul Gandhi, are set to discuss the issue with State Congress leaders in New Delhi on Saturday.
TNCC leaders claimed that the DMK was ready to give Congress more than 25 seats in 2021, but ruled out power sharing.
Sources in the TNCC said the AICC leadership was informed that the success of the INDIA bloc in Tamil Nadu rested on the successful mobilization of Scheduled Caste/Tribe and minority votes, and such mobilization would not be entirely successful without the Congress in the alliance.
A senior leader who will be part of the discussions said, “The problem is not just about being part of the government, we are also not consulted on any important issues in the state. This is undemocratic and unacceptable.”
Another official who will be part of the discussions in Delhi hinted that it would not be easy for the DMK to replace the Congress in its alliance and rejected the notion that voters would not accept a coalition government.
“In 2006, voters broke the mandate of the DMK alliance. So people have given such mandates in the past. It is also the norm in Indian politics today. Even the BJP, with a brute majority, accommodates its alliance partners. Why can’t the DMK do the same?” asked the leader.
Published – 16 Jan 2026 11:00 PM IST