The political developments in Tamil Nadu after the 2026 Assembly election results have triggered sharp reactions within Opposition ranks, with the Congress backing Vijay's TVK government after contesting the elections alongside the DMK. In this interview, The Federal's political editor Puneet Nicholas Yadav talks about the Congress-DMK fallout, Akhilesh Yadav's swipe at the Congress, the future of the INDIA Bloc, and the implications for Uttar Pradesh politics.
How do you see the Congress quickly moving from the DMK alliance to supporting TVK?
Well, there are two aspects to this. Even before the elections, there was a section within the Congress - particularly some second-rung leaders considered close to Rahul Gandhi - who believed that the Congress should have broken away from the DMK before the elections themselves and aligned with the TVK.
At the same time, there was another group of senior leaders who felt that the Congress should continue its long-standing alliance with the DMK.
After the election results, however, the situation changed rapidly because the DMK was voted out of power and Vijay's TVK made a stunning debut. Even though the Congress itself managed to win only five seats, it quickly started sending feelers to the TVK about supporting government formation because the TVK lacked a majority despite emerging as the single-largest party.
Now, one can certainly say the Congress backstabbed the DMK, jumped ship, and acted opportunistically. There is definitely some truth to that.
But the DMK and other INDIA bloc allies must also ask themselves what the alternative was. Would they have preferred a scenario where the BJP-led NDA got an opening? Or the rumours of the AIADMK and DMK coming together just to stop a Vijay-led government? In a state like Tamil Nadu, would such an arrangement have been politically or socially advisable?
And finally, would that not have undermined the clear mandate in favour of the TVK and Vijay?
During the campaign too, the Congress was actually very guarded in what it said about the TVK. It criticised the BJP and the AIADMK for aligning with the BJP, but it was never overtly critical of Vijay.
That itself should have alerted the DMK that if the election results did not go according to plan, the Congress would reopen communication channels with the TVK. That is exactly what happened.
Even throughout the campaign, the Congress-DMK campaign lacked cohesion. Rahul Gandhi refused to share the stage with M K Stalin during the campaign.
Unlike previous elections where there were grand public displays of brotherhood between the two leaders, none of that was visible this time.
The rift was already visible during the campaign itself and has now formally manifested through the Congress switching sides.
How can the Congress now justify supporting the TVK after contesting against it?
I don't think convincing the people of Tamil Nadu will be particularly difficult for either the Congress or the TVK.
Throughout the campaign, it was already clear that a sizable section within the Congress wanted an alliance with the TVK even before the elections.
Secondly, the CPI and CPM - all of whom have now extended support to Vijay - have justified their decision by saying they wanted to prevent the BJP or a communal force from coming to power in Tamil Nadu.
They have also argued that the TVK and their own parties share a common commitment to secularism.
The Congress's own support letter to the TVK clearly states that the alliance is conditional on the TVK not aligning with communal forces or any force that weakens the Constitution.
So, to that extent, they have politically covered themselves.