CHENNAI: The absence of over 20 Tamil Nadu Congress Committee (TNCC) executive committee members from a crucial meeting of the state Congress, in the backdrop of power share debate, has sparked fresh speculation about internal differences within the party, particularly over joining the Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK) alliance, despite clear instructions from the high command not to rock the DMK's boat.
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Insiders revealed that Virudhunagar MP Manickam Tagore, Karur MP S Jothimani, and former TNCC president KS Alagiri, who were vocal about building pressure on the DMK for a coalition government, were among the 20 executive committee members who skipped the interaction.
Political observers say the mass absence reflects continued differences within the party on alliance strategy, indicating that unity on the issue remains elusive even after the AICC's intervention.
Meanwhile, Manickam Tagore and S Jothimani clarified their absence through posts on their respective social media handles. Tagore stated that he had informed the AICC Tamil Nadu in-charge, Girish Chodankar, in advance of his inability to attend the meeting. Jothimani said she was engaged in an official Standing Committee on Defence study tour.
After the meeting, AICC Tamil Nadu in-charge Girish Chodankar and TNCC president K Selvaperunthagai addressed the media. Chodankar announced that the party's screening committee had begun work on candidate selection for the 2026 Assembly elections.
He said the Congress had received over 5,000 applications from aspirants seeking candidature and added that the party was focusing on strengthening its grassroots presence by forming village-level committees across the State.
Chodankar also revealed that the party was planning a major rally in Tamil Nadu, which would be addressed by Rahul Gandhi and AICC president Mallikarjuna Kharge.
Responding to questions on alliances, Chodankar said the AICC was currently hearing the views of 42 senior leaders individually and that the final decision on alliance formation and power-sharing would be taken by the high command.
The TNCC invited over 90 members to its Executive Committee meeting on Tuesday at Sathiyamoorthi Bhavan in Chennai, but only 70 attended.
Several senior leaders who had earlier posted on social media regarding power-sharing arrangements and the exploration of a possible TVK alliance did not attend the meeting.