DMK slams Congress as ‘backstabbers’ after party backs Vijay’s TVK in Tamil Nadu power shift

The post-poll churn in Tamil Nadu politics intensified overnight as Congress moved closer to backing Vijay’s Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK), prompting its former ally DMK to lash out and brand the party “backstabbers.”

DMK spokesperson Saravanan Annadurai accused the Congress of betraying the alliance, pointing out that the party’s five Assembly seats were won largely due to the support base of Chief Minister MK Stalin’s DMK.

Pinning the word “backstabbers” to the top of his X account, Annadurai reminded Congress leaders that it was Stalin who had projected Rahul Gandhi as a prime ministerial face when the BJP and RSS were mocking him as “Pappu.”

His remarks came in response to a late-night post by Congress general secretary KC Venugopal, who indicated that the decision on extending support to TVK would rest with the Tamil Nadu unit.

Soon after, sources said the state Congress leadership held a virtual meeting and passed a resolution to extend conditional support to TVK. The terms reportedly include cabinet berths and chairmanships of select state boards.

A formal letter of support is expected to be issued on Thursday, following which Congress MLAs are likely to meet Vijay at his Panaiyur residence.

TVK has confirmed that an understanding with Congress has been reached after receiving official communication from the party. Sources said Congress MP Karti Chidambaram has been coordinating the outreach.

Vijay’s two-year-old party emerged as the single largest force in the Tamil Nadu Assembly elections, winning 108 seats — just 11 short of the majority mark in the 234-member House.

The actor-politician has ruled out any alliance with the BJP, citing ideological differences, and has positioned the DMK as his principal political rival.

TVK has also reached out to other constituents of the pre-poll DMK-led Secular Progressive Alliance, including VCK, CPI, CPI(M) and IUML, each of which won two seats.

Earlier, Vijay’s father SA Chandrasekhar publicly urged Congress to support TVK, saying the alliance could restore the party’s lost political relevance.

“Congress has a great history and tradition, but it is declining because it lacks power. Vijay is ready to give that power back,” he said.

The growing Congress-TVK understanding marks a dramatic breakdown of Congress’s ties with the DMK, tensions over which had already surfaced before the election after Stalin’s party reportedly refused power-sharing demands during alliance negotiations.