CHENNAI: In an ironic political twist, Congress leader Manickam Tagore, who led from the front to needle alliance leader DMK ahead of the seat-sharing talks, resigned as chairman of the party’s election management and coordination committee on Wednesday.
The party is yet to finalise its candidates for the 28 seats that it is contesting in the April 23 Assembly polls, for which the nominations should be submitted by Monday.
Congress sources said differences intensified during the candidate selection process, with multiple opinions emerging on constituency allocation and nominations.
The list submitted by Tamil Nadu Congress Committee president K Selvaperunthagai to the party’s screening committee and the high command in New Delhi has reportedly drawn criticism for allegedly overlooking grassroots functionaries.
On Tuesday night, Congress MPs Jothimani and Karti Chidambaram, along with Professional Congress wing leader Praveen Chakravarthy, had lodged a complaint with the party leadership, expressing concerns over the selection process.
Protests erupted at the TNCC headquarters, with Seva Dal leader Vijayan and Mahila Congress leader Hasina Syed demanding opportunities to contest. Tension escalated when a party functionary attempted self-immolation in support of Vijayan, before others present there thwarted the attempt.
Earlier, Selvaperunthagai had acknowledged that delays in finalising candidates had affected the party’s electoral performance in the past, and stressed the need for early completion of seat-sharing talks with the DMK. However, continuing disagreements over candidate selection have stalled the process.
As alliance partners, including the DMK, VCK, and the two Left parties, have intensified campaigning across the State, the Congress is yet to even announce its candidates. The fracas within the organisation may affect the party’s preparedness, admitted sources within the TNCC.
Political observers noted that although the Congress managed to wrangle 28 seats from the DMK leadership, its internal rifts and delays could emerge as a liability for the DMK-led front in the 2026 elections, particularly amid strong competition from the AIADMK-led NDA and actor Vijay’s Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam.