‘No one lives with a wife who…’: DMK rules out future alliance with Congress

Senior DMK leader R S Bharathi on Sunday ruled out any possibility of a future alliance with the Congress, saying the Dravidian party had moved on and would never welcome the national party back into its fold.

Addressing reporters in Pudukkottai, Bharathi dismissed speculation about a reconciliation between the two former allies and used a series of sharp analogies to describe the political split.

“We are not there in an alliance where Congress is present. I am clarifying that,” Bharathi said.

Responding to comments made by Congress leader Manickam Tagore on the DMK’s performance and alliance politics, Bharathi said Tagore should first reflect on his own electoral victory before criticising others.

The DMK leader compared the breakup to a relationship that had irretrievably broken down, saying some separations happen by mutual consent while others are caused by betrayal.

“No one lives with a wife who runs away. There is no longer any political ties or relationships with them. Even if the DMK leadership decides otherwise, the grassroots party cadres will never accept Congress back into the fold,” Bharathi said. He also stressed that the DMK remained committed to its ideological position and ruled out any future alignment with the BJP.

Ties between the DMK and Congress have severely frayed after the Congress party allied with actor Vijay’s TVK to form the government in Tamil Nadu following the 2026 Assembly election results, marking the end of their 20-year alliance. 

DMK General Secretary Udhayanidhi Stalin declared that the party would “never trust” Congress again over this coalition choice, accusing them of betrayal and backstabbing at a critical moment. 

In a symbolic gesture of the breakdown, DMK MP Kanimozhi Karunanidhi wrote to Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla on May 7, requesting separate seating arrangements for DMK MPs since “our alliance with the Indian National Congress has come to an end” and it would not be appropriate to sit alongside Congress members. 

The rift has now widened further, with the DMK deciding to skip the INDIA Bloc meeting scheduled for June 8, 2026, in New Delhi, and senior DMK leaders are questioning whether the party will quit the INDIA Bloc entirely, with one leader stating, “The INDIA Bloc is gone”.

Taking aim at politicians switching parties, Bharathi said Tamil Nadu was increasingly witnessing the “Aya Ram Gaya Ram” culture that had historically been associated with states in North India. “People who shift from one party to another for positions will not last long. If the government falls in six months, they will all come running back to square one,” he said.

(With inputs from PTI)