DMK rules out alliance with Congress in local body polls

Senior DMK leader RS Bharathi firmly rejected any future alliance with the Indian National Congress, calling the party’s departure from the alliance akin to 'adultery' and stating the DMK would never welcome defectors back. Addressing reporters in Pudukkottai, Bharathi challenged rival parties to win even a single mayor seat in the upcoming local body polls, demanding elections be held as early as January. Bharathi dismissed Congress leader Manickam Tagore’s criticism, advising him to focus on his own political achievements first. He described the alliance split as a clandestine betrayal, emphasizing that the DMK’s grassroots would never accept Congress back, regardless of leadership decisions. The DMK leader also reaffirmed the party’s ideological distance from the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), ruling out any future collaboration. Criticizing defectors shifting between parties for political gains, Bharathi warned that such 'Aya Ram Gaya Ram' politics would not last, comparing it to Tamil Nadu’s historical political culture. He targeted former AIADMK leaders and others who switched allegiances, predicting their downfall if the government collapsed within six months. Downplaying actor-turned-politician Vijay’s Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK) party’s recent electoral gains, Bharathi called its 35% vote share a 'jackpot lottery ticket' rather than ideological support. He argued voters chose TVK due to social media campaigns and celebrity appeal, not policy, and predicted TVK’s rise would be short-lived, comparing it to fleeting political trends. Bharathi also highlighted voter disinterest in local politics, claiming many did not even recognize their own MLAs or ministers. He warned that TVK’s momentum would reverse quickly, drawing a parallel to how single-issue movements in other states had collapsed after initial success.