CHENNAI: Tamil Nadu Congress Committee (TNCC) president K Selvaperunthagai on Friday asked party leaders to refrain from commenting publicly on alliance-related matters, stating that all decisions must be taken only in consultation with the All India Congress Committee (AICC) leadership.
The directive comes amid speculation within the Congress and media reports about a possible realignment ahead of the 2026 Assembly elections, including claims that the party was exploring ties with actor Vijay-led TVK.
In a strongly worded statement, Selvaperunthagai alleged that the BJP, which he said has failed to gain a foothold in Tamil Nadu, was attempting to engineer alliances by exerting pressure through central agencies. He warned that any move to weaken the INDIA bloc would directly benefit the AIADMK-BJP alliance.
He further alleged that Union Home Minister Amit Shah is spearheading efforts to expand the BJP’s presence in the state by using “all possible means”, including coercion. Political parties unwilling to align with the BJP, he claimed, are being targeted through agencies such as the Income Tax Department, the CBI and the Enforcement Directorate.
Recalling the electoral performance of the secular progressive alliance comprising the DMK, Congress and other like-minded parties since 2004, barring the 2014 elections, Selvaperunthagai said the alliance had consistently contested polls together.
He noted that the INDIA bloc secured decisive victories in the 2019 Lok Sabha polls, the 2021 Assembly elections and the 2024 Lok Sabha elections. Reiterating that weakening the INDIA bloc would only help the AIADMK-BJP combine, he stressed that Congress leaders should not allow dilution of secular principles.
Referring to recent remarks by AICC Tamil Nadu in-charge Girish Chodankar, Selvaperunthagai said a five-member Congress committee had already held preliminary discussions with the DMK and asserted that the Congress-DMK alliance remained firm. He urged Congress cadre to act with political clarity and strengthen the INDIA bloc both ideologically and organisationally.