Congress and DMK can still work together in Parliament, says Karti P. Chidambaram

Account subscription benefits alongside Premium Stories, Editorials, Opinions and more. Unlock these with Subscription

The View From India Looking at World Affairs from the Indian perspective.

First Day First Show News and reviews from the world of cinema and streaming.

Today's Cache Your download of the top 5 technology stories of the day.

Data Point Decoding the headlines with facts, figures, and numbers

Health Matters Ramya Kannan writes to you on getting to good health, and staying there

The Hindu On Books Books of the week, reviews, excerpts, new titles and features.

At the ground level, there was no bond between DMK and Congress workers. We were winning elections, but there had always been step-brotherly treatment meted out by the DMK at the ground level, says Karti P. Chidambaram. | Photo Credit: J. Johan Sathyadas

Congress Lok Sabha MP Karti P. Chidambaram said on Friday that the party’s decision to pull out of the alliance led by its long-standing partner DMK, after the 2026 Assembly election, need not necessarily signal the end of the INDIA bloc nationally, as the Congress continues to work with the CPI(M) and the Trinamool Congress despite competing with them at the State level.

In an interview to The Hindu, Mr. Karti said post-poll alliances were common worldwide, especially in Europe, and underlined the fact that the Congress’s decision to leave the DMK-led alliance did not deprive it of an opportunity to form the government in the State. “At the ground level, there was no bond between DMK and Congress workers. We were winning elections, but there had always been step-brotherly treatment meted out by the DMK at the ground level. Even during the local bodies elections, there is no proper power-sharing. The Delhi [the high command] decided that in the long term, we need a new relationship and we have to go along with a new party,” he said.

Making an appeal to take a “sober” look at the issue, he said, “You could be a competitor in the State but be a part of the national alliance. The Congress and the CPI(M) and the Congress and the TMC are competing in the States but we are together in Parliament. The manner in which the split happened has resulted in bitterness with the DMK,” he said.

Asked whether he thought the Congress could gain more by allying with the Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam and whether it could replace the DMK when it came to stridently opposing the BJP in Tamil Nadu, Mr. Karti said, “We have to see how the relationship evolves. As of now, it is good. We are now part of the State government after 1967. This is a positive. W