Once rivals, DMK, Congress now united for nation’s welfare, Tamil Nadu’s progress: CM Stalin

CHENNAI: Even as speculations are rife over tensions between the DMK and Congress ahead of the 2026 Assembly elections, Chief Minister and DMK president MK Stalin said on Monday that although the two parties followed different political paths earlier, they now stood united by shared ideals for Tamil Nadu’s progress and the nation’s welfare and unity.

Speaking at the wedding of Virudhunagar East district Congress committee president Sreeraja Chokkar’s family at the Kalaignar Arangam in Anna Arivalayam, Stalin said that the cordial understanding between the two parties has progressed from mere political ties to a mature ideological bond rooted in mutual respect and cooperation.

“The Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam and the Congress once travelled separate roads. But today, for the welfare of the people, for Tamil Nadu’s development, and for India’s unity, we walk together with a shared vision. The understanding and ideological relationship between the two parties will certainly safeguard the future of the nation,” he said.

Adding a personal element to the ties, Stalin said, “Rahul Gandhi, the young leader of the Congress, has shown me personal affection that words cannot describe. When I speak of him, I call him my ‘dear brother’ because whenever we meet or talk on the phone, he greets me as ‘my dear brother’. That warmth reflects the genuine friendship between our parties. No other political leader has shown such affection, and it is something I will never forget.”

Stating that the DMK-Congress relationship was grounded in shared democratic and Constitutional values that resonated today as the true voice of India, Stalin said, “This is the very sentiment I expect from everyone, the belief that the nation’s welfare must come before individual interest. The friendship between our two political movements continues in that spirit today. The mutual understanding and ideological bond that have developed between the DMK and the Congress will certainly safeguard the future of this nation. That is a firm conviction.”

The comments came at a time reports are surfacing that the DMK, which leads the INDIA bloc in Tamil Nadu, was planning to take 10 seats that the Congress contested in the 2021 Assembly polls, while the Congress is considering demanding two Assembly seats in each Parliamentary constituency.

Stalin’s remarks also came amid the backdrop of TNCC president K Selvaperunthagai and senior DMK leader and Minister Duraimurugan being involved in a war of words over the release of water from Chembarambakkam reservoir, which falls in the Congress leader’s constituency.