Despite the purported strain in ties between the ruling Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) and the Congress, the Secular Progressive Alliance (SPA) appears to be in a dominant position in the run-up to the Tamil Nadu Assembly polls.
The alliance expanded further with the entry of the Desiya Murpokku Dravida Kazhagam (DMDK), which formally joined it on Thursday. The DMDK had been part of the AIADMK-led alliance during the 2024 Lok Sabha elections.
On Friday, former Chief Minister O Panneerselvam met Chief Minister MK Stalin and expressed his wish that Stalin will return to power. His follower and the legislator representing Usilampatti P Ayyappan predicted that Stalin would win the upcoming elections and return to power.
The SPA currently comprises the DMK, the Congress, the two Communist parties, VCK, IUML, MDMK, and the DMDK.
Meanwhile, the Congress has been kept waiting by the DMK for seat-sharing talks. Girish Chodankar, the All India Congress Committee (AICC) in-charge of Tamil Nadu, on Friday said the party has been waiting for the DMK to take the initiative to begin discussions.
"We've been waiting for 78 days now. We formed the committee for talks in November. It's February now. We're hoping against hope," he told The New Indian Express.
However, DMK MP Kanimozhi, responding to queries from mediapersons, said that the DMK–Congress alliance has endured several ups and downs over the years and there is no possibility of any change, putting to rest doubts about the alliance's continuity.
According to reports, seat-sharing talks are expected to commence on February 22. The Congress, which contested 25 seats and won 18 in 2021, is likely to seek a higher number of seats this time.
'Congress has no significant base or strength in TN'
Political scientist Professor Ramu Manivannan is among those who believe the Congress will stick with the DMK for political and ideological reasons.
He noted that even leaders such as Manickam Tagore have sounded more restrained in recent days.
He, though, admitted that statements made by leaders like Tagore and senior party functionary Praveen Chakravarty would likely have been made with the blessings of the party high command.
He went on to say that it would be unfair for the Congress to demand more seats from the DMK.
"The Congress has no significant base or strength in Tamil Nadu. At most, it can secure between 15 and 20 seats. Even 20 seats would be a generous deal. It is far-fetched for the Congress to demand 25 or even 60 seats," he said.
The Tamil Nadu Assembly has 234 seats. In the 2021 Assembly election, the DMK–Congress alliance secured 151 seats. In the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, the DMK-led alliance won all 39 parliamentary seats in the state.
The strain in DMK–Congress ties, triggered by remarks from some second-rung Congress leaders, was what led to rumours and speculation. The DMK was reportedly unhappy with developments over the past few months and even demanded action against Tagore and Chakravarty.
Tensions escalated after Tagore and Chakravarty publicly criticised the DMK and demanded a direct share in power. Speculation intensified when Chakravarty reportedly met actor-turned-politician Vijay of Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam in December 2025.
The Congress has also faced embarrassment in the state. An alliance partner and MDMK general secretary Vaiko remarked that khadi shirts being torn during internal clashes within the Congress party is nothing new.
Congress MP Tagore responded on X, saying he was choosing to remain patient out of respect for the gag order imposed by the party high command.
The gag order was issued recently after ties between the DMK and the Congress were perceived to be deteriorating, exacerbated by controversial remarks from certain Congress leaders.
