New Delhi: Six weeks after the Congress dumped its long-term ally DMK to enter into an alliance with Vijay’s TVK, former Tamil Nadu chief minister M.K. Stalin’s birthday greeting X post for Rahul Gandhi Thursday sparked a lot of curiosity in the political circles.
Stalin extended greetings for Rahul’s “good health and happiness”. Rahul responded warmly, thanking the DMK leader stating the two parties’ shared commitment to constitutional values and federalism.
“Thank you, Thiru M.K. Stalin, for your warm wishes. Our shared resolve to defend the idea of India, our Constitution, and federalism will continue to guide us. This is the fight for the very soul of our democracy, and we will wage it together, until we win,” Gandhi wrote on X.
The exchange has triggered speculation about a possible thaw in relations between the two parties, whose decades-long alliance came to an abrupt end after Congress extended support to Vijay’s TVK government following the Tamil Nadu assembly elections.
The split not only reshaped Tamil Nadu’s political landscape but also appeared to fracture the close personal and political bond that had long existed between Rahul Gandhi and Stalin.
State Congress leaders insisted that the breakup was driven by political compulsions rather than personal differences.
“The breakup did not happen because of any personal animosity. Congress needed to establish itself as an independent political force in Tamil Nadu. At the national level, both parties continue to need each other,” Tamil Nadu Congress MP Christopher Tilak told ThePrint.
According to Tilak, the Congress leadership remains conscious of the DMK’s importance within the INDIA bloc, particularly as Parliament prepares to take up several contentious issues, including delimitation, during the upcoming Monsoon Session.
“Rahul Gandhi and the DMK still recognise the importance of working together within the broader opposition space. The INDIA bloc remains the principal platform for taking on the BJP, and Congress would want to ensure that opposition unity is not weakened on critical national issues,” he added.
The Congress and DMK have shared a long political association, often working together both in Tamil Nadu and at the national level.
Political observers say the public exchange reflects a convergence of interests for both sides despite the breakdown of their alliance in Tamil Nadu and view the interaction on X as an extension of an ‘olive branch’ from both camps.
Columnist and political commentator S. Gurumurthy argued that Stalin may be attempting to keep communication channels open with Congress even as the party remains aligned with the TVK government, while Congress may be recognising the continued importance of the DMK’s strength in the center.
“The breakup has left a significant dent in the Congress-DMK relationship. Yet both sides recognise the value of maintaining a working relationship. Stalin is effectively extending an olive branch because there are mutual political interests,” he said.
Gurumurthy noted that several former DMK allies backed the TVK government after the elections, creating a fluid political situation in Tamil Nadu. In that context he also suggested that Congress remains an important political player despite the breakdown of the alliance.
“If the DMK wants to take down the TVK, it needs the Congress. TVK’s rise is accidental in Tamil Nadu politics,” he said.
However, the DMK has firmly dismissed suggestions that the birthday exchange signals any political reconciliation.
“There is nothing to read into this. It was merely a courtesy wish between leaders who have known each other for a long time,” DMK spokesperson Saravanan Annadurai told ThePrint.
“The cadres are extremely unhappy about how Congress left the alliance. There is no possibility of any immediate political understanding. The relationship has been damaged, and the cadre sentiment remains very strong,” he added.
(Edited by Gitanjali Das)
Also Read: TVK White Paper audits finances under DMK: Every newborn carries debt burden of Rs 1.28 lakh now