CHENNAI: Clarifying the Congress party’s alliance position in Tamil Nadu, AICC Tamil Nadu in-charge Girish Chodankar on Saturday said no negotiations had been held with the Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK) and reiterated that its ties with the DMK remained the only reliable alliance for the party in the State.
Speaking to reporters ahead of a consultative meeting on the 2026 Assembly elections at Sathyamurthy Bhavan, he said disciplinary action had been recommended against district functionary Sathish Kumar based on allegations raised by Karur MP Jothimani.
He stressed that the party's internal issues should not be discussed in public, especially around elections. He said the announcement of district presidents would be made soon and added that the party was strengthening its organisational structure, from the booth- to leadership-levels.
More than 5,000 people have submitted expressions of interest to contest the Assembly elections, reflecting the vibrancy of the Congress, he said.
Responding to questions on alliance talks, he said the Congress had formed a committee, met Chief Minister MK Stalin last month and held discussions only because of its commitment to the alliance with the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam. He asserted that at no point had the party indicated breaking up the alliance.
About the meeting between TVK founder Vijay and Congress member Praveen Chakravarty, he said there was no need to overreact, adding that the Congress’s alliance stance in Tamil Nadu and Puducherry remained unchanged.
He noted that the party would soon announce the number of constituencies it is planning to contest the Assembly polls. On a question about seeking power share in the state, he remarked that no political party would ever say no to a role in governance.
Chodankar also said the decision of the Tamil Nadu Congress president to stay away from an MDMK march citing the presence of Prabhakaran’s photograph was the right call.