TN Congress power sharing pitch reaches high command, decision pending

Amid renewed demands from a section of its Tamil Nadu leadership for a formal power-sharing arrangement with the DMK ahead of the Assembly elections, the Congress on Saturday said its high command has taken note of all concerns and will take a decision in due course. The party also issued a clear warning to state leaders to maintain discipline and refrain from making public statements on election strategy, including on social media.

The position was conveyed after Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge chaired a high-level meeting at the party’s Indira Bhawan headquarters in New Delhi. The meeting was attended by former party chief Rahul Gandhi , AICC general secretary (organisation) K C Venugopal , Tamil Nadu in-charge Girish Chodankar , Tamil Nadu Congress Committee president K Selvaperunthagai , and senior leaders including MPs P Chidambaram , Manickam Tagore , Karti Chidambaram , Jyothimani and V Vasanth . Professionals’ Congress chairman Praveen Chakravarty was also present.

In a post on X after the meeting, Kharge said the Congress was confident that the people of Tamil Nadu would choose “equality, social justice, empowerment and good governance” over what he described as the “divisive, anti-federal and discriminatory politics of the RSS-BJP.” He said the party was determined to play a meaningful role in fulfilling the aspirations of the people of the state.

Briefing reporters, Venugopal said the leadership held both collective and one-on-one discussions with Tamil Nadu leaders. He said Kharge and Rahul Gandhi patiently listened to all views and that the deliberations were constructive and focused on strengthening the party and shaping its future electoral strategy.

“The meeting has unanimously authorised the Congress president and the Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha to take appropriate decisions. Issues relating to election strategy will be decided at the right time, keeping in mind the party’s ideology and the interests of the people of Tamil Nadu,” Venugopal said, reading out a formal statement.

He added that the high command has directed all leaders to avoid speculation and speak in one voice in line with party decisions. Responding to questions on demands for power-sharing with the DMK, Venugopal said the leadership had noted the concerns raised by state leaders and would take a decision after considering all factors.

The demand for “power-sharing” by Tamil Nadu Congress leaders has centred on seeking a defined role in governance if the DMK-led alliance retains power including Cabinet berths, ministerial portfolios or key positions in government boards and corporations rather than extending only outside support.

The issue has triggered visible internal dissent in the state unit. Congress MP Manickam Tagore recently said it was time to openly debate a “share in power”, while Congress Legislature Party leader and Killiyoor MLA S Rajeshkumar has publicly advocated the formation of a coalition government. Tamil Nadu Congress in-charge Girish Chodankar had earlier remarked that a party that does not seek power should “call itself an NGO”.

However, the DMK has firmly ruled out any such arrangement. Senior DMK leader and Tamil Nadu minister I Periyasamy reiterated this week that Chief Minister M K Stalin remains steadfast against sharing power with alliance partners, maintaining that the DMK would continue its long-standing practice of forming governments independently.

Tamil Nadu is expected to go to the polls in April-May 2026, though the Election Commission has not yet announced the official schedule. Seat-sharing talks within the DMK-led alliance, including with the Congress, have also not formally begun.

The Congress has been a junior but consistent ally of the DMK in the state. In the 2021 Assembly elections, the Congress contested 25 seats and won 18, while the DMK-led alliance secured a comfortable majority. In the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, the Congress won nine seats from Tamil Nadu as part of the INDIA bloc, reinforcing its electoral relevance despite its limited independent footprint in the state.

The Congress leadership also met party leaders from Puducherry, including former chief minister V Narayanasami and Pradesh Congress Committee president V Vaithilingam. Venugopal said Puducherry leaders informed the high command about a padyatra planned from January 21, in which senior leaders are expected to participate.

Speculation has also emerged about the Congress exploring political options beyond the DMK-led alliance, including a possible understanding with actor-turned-politician Vijay’s newly launched Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK). While TVK, launched in 2024, has positioned itself as an alternative to both the DMK and AIADMK, Congress leaders in Tamil Nadu have publicly denied any alliance talks with the party so far.

Historically, both the DMK and the AIADMK have formed governments on their own despite contesting elections with allies. Even during the DMK’s 2006-11 tenure, when it did not have an absolute majority, it ran the government with outside support from allies, including the Congress, without sharing power. Similar demands raised by the Congress at the time did not yield results.

Senior Congress leader Sachin Pilot recently defended the party’s demand for a share in power in Tamil Nadu, stating that every political party naturally aspires not only to support governance but to participate in it.