DMK youth wing chief Udhayanidhi Stalin’s comment about being “stabbed in the back” by the Congress was “unacceptable”, MP Manickam Tagore said.
The exchange exacerbated tensions between The Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam and the Indian National Congress, are long-time allies in Tamil Nadu politics.
“Congress stood with DMK in difficult times. “We waited outside when they had a minority. Udhayanidhi’s words are unacceptable,” Tagore told news agency ANI.
He said that the recent Congressional decision is in line with… CM Vijay’s Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK) was driven by the aim of preventing the BJP from gaining influence in Tamil Nadu.
“The Congress has always stood with the secular alliance (but) the BJP has been extending invitations to the DMK and AIADMK which is against our principles. The Congress will not tolerate any understanding with the BJP,” he explained.
What Udhayanidhi said
Tagore’s remarks came in response to a strong attack from the DMK leader Udhayanidhi Stalin who accused Congress of treason after taking advantage of the alliance.
He said earlier: “For more than 20 years, the Congress party rode our backs. Today, they stabbed us in the back.” “No one should ever forget this. We should never trust Congress at any time in the future, and we should never let them get close to us again.”
As claimed The Congress indirectly contributed to the rise of the BJP, saying: “The main reason for the BJP’s victories is the Congress. This is clear now.”
The DMK leader said party workers worked hard to ensure Congress victories in the state and accused the party of abandoning the alliance after the recent elections.
Vijay and the rise of TVK in Tamil Nadu
The political repercussions come amid shifting alliances Tamil Nadu after the recent Assembly elections, where actor-turned-politician TVK Vijay won the polls. It became the largest single party in the elections, winning 108 seats in the 234-member House of Representatives. The DMK won 59 seats, the AIADMK 47, and the Congress five seats as part of the DMK-led alliance.
The TVK party was unable to obtain a majority of 118 seats, but it bet on forming the government with external support. The governor did not initially invite Vijay to form the government, citing the need for clear proof of majority. After negotiations and support from minor parties and independents, Vijay was invited to take oath as Prime Minister on May 10 in Chennai.
The government then faced a test on 13 May, which it passed by 144 votes to 22, with 5 abstentions. Support came from TVK MLAs and allies including Congress, CPI, CPI(M), VCK, IUML, and AIADMK rebel MLAs, securing a working majority.
