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The DMK’s sure-footed attitude reveals an understanding that breaking away from the DMK camp was never really an option for the Congress
Tamil Nadu Polls: Congress leader Rahul Gandhi with MK Stalin
In the annals of the DMK, there is one particular sentiment common to all situations, years, and eras. From the heady days of newfound power in the late 1960s to iconic face-off years with MGR to the tumult of the Jayalalithaa years and after, the DMK never let go of one defining trait—they don’t bend to pressure or allow themselves to be elbowed into a corner by any force, be it friendly or adversarial.
Largely, they have conducted their politics from positions of strength. When it comes to electoral parleys, the DMK brings out a character somewhat similar—by being unrelentingly rigid. What is currently playing out between them and the Indian National Congress is the DMK’s reflex of rigidity.
Voices from the Congress camp have raised the question of power-sharing, a dogged pursuit by certain members of the national party. While DMK MP Kanimozhi made a trip to New Delhi to sort it out with Rahul Gandhi, DMK chief MK Stalin stated categorically that there won’t be any power sharing, apparently to put an end to the debate way ahead of seat-sharing talks. However, the Congress leadership in Tamil Nadu has said it is a decision to be taken in consensus with the Congress high command in Delhi, signalling that there is interest from the party’s national leadership to keep pushing the DMK towards a more conciliatory stance.
This leads to the question: What are the Congress’s choices in Tamil Nadu? The first and obvious choice is to stay put in the DMK camp, which appears to be in no urgency to fortify its electoral rank and file in the face of new threats like Vijay’s TVK. The Congress’s other significant choice is to flirt with Vijay’s party to drive some Fear of Missing Out (FOMO) in the DMK camp. This is an oft-repeated style in the Indian political scene, and the DMK is only too aware to fall for it. The third choice, which is also a possibility, is to break away and ally with TVK, get a much, much wider play in the state elections and test out the Rahul Gandhi-Vijay combination. To any poll watcher, the third option will be a delight to watch—the optics, the possibilities it entails, and the impact it might cause in the electoral dynamics of Tamil Nadu.
But then, reality awaits. The DMK’s sure-footed attitude reveals an understanding that breaking away from the DMK camp was never really an option for the Congress. Betting on a new, untested force such as Vijay and forgoing an ally with whom the Congress has had a strong 10-year run may not come across as sound decision-making for Rahul Gandhi. It might also be termed downright opportunist. Secondly, wouldn’t Rahul Gandhi think about the Big Election down the line in three years?
So, it appears, the well-fanned debate is but an opportunity for the Congress to get more seats and allow the status quo to continue, lest they bite the bullet and take the plunge with Vijay.
In politics, like cricket, anything can happen. Depends on how much of a swashbuckler the Congress leader is and what tides of change the death overs bring to light.
February 12, 2026, 16:47 IST
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