Tamil Nadu Government Formation: Mani Shankar Aiyar Slams Congress-TVK Alliance, Urges Rahul Gandhi To Quit INDIA Bloc Leadership

Senior Congress leader Mani Shankar Aiyar on Friday, May 8, sharply criticised the party’s decision to support actor-turned-politician Vijay’s Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK) in Tamil Nadu, describing the move as politically opportunistic and damaging to the Congress’ long-standing alliance with the DMK.

In remarks to PTI, Aiyar also questioned Rahul Gandhi’s leadership of the opposition INDIA bloc and suggested that the Congress leader should step aside to allow regional leaders such as Mamata Banerjee, Akhilesh Yadav, M K Stalin or Tejashwi Yadav to take charge of the alliance. Tamil Nadu Hung Assembly: Vijay's TVK Warns of Mass MLA Resignation if DMK or AIADMK Try to Form Government, Say Sources.

Mani Shankar Aiyar Questions Rahul Gandhi’s Leadership

Aiyar said the Congress’ recent electoral setbacks reflected weaknesses in the party’s current political strategy and argued that regional leaders may be better positioned to strengthen the opposition coalition.

“We were so incapable that we kept Mamata Banerjee away, and this led to Congress being weakened,” Aiyar said, adding that Rahul Gandhi should not continue to hold on to the leadership role within the INDIA bloc.

The veteran Congress leader suggested that leaders with stronger regional bases could devote greater time and political focus to consolidating the alliance ahead of future elections. DMK-AIADMK Alliance in Tamil Nadu? Sources Say Rivals May Join Hands To Stop Vijay’s TVK Government.

Aiyar criticizes Congress-TVK Alliance

Aiyar termed the Congress’ decision to support TVK as “dreadful” and accused the party of abandoning a trusted ally immediately after contesting elections alongside the DMK.

The Congress earlier this week announced support for Vijay’s party in its effort to form the government in Tamil Nadu, ending its long-running alliance with the DMK and triggering a major political realignment in the state.

TVK emerged as the single largest party with 108 seats in the 234-member Tamil Nadu Assembly following the April 23 elections. With Congress extending support through its five MLAs, the party still remains short of the 118-seat majority mark required to form the government on its own. The DMK has since accused the Congress of “backstabbing” by switching support to TVK.

Aiyar said the alliance shift reflected “low political opportunism” and warned that the move could indirectly benefit the BJP in Tamil Nadu. “If the move facilitates the backdoor entry of a communal BJP into the Dravidian state, then it would prove to be the worst own goal in the history of political football,” he said.

He also questioned the ethical basis of the Congress’ decision, saying it violated Mahatma Gandhi’s principle that governance should be rooted in morality. “This is an unforgivable violation of Mahatma Gandhi’s 1925 maxim, ‘Swaraj should be a government based on morality’,” Aiyar told PTI.

In an article published in The Hindu Tamil, Aiyar argued that Congress owed its recent electoral success in the state largely to its alliance with the DMK rather than its own organisational strength. He pointed to the Mayiladuturai region, his former parliamentary constituency, where alliance-backed candidates performed strongly against TVK candidates across multiple Assembly segments.

According to Aiyar, the election mandate clearly favoured the DMK-led alliance and not Vijay’s relatively new political outfit. The Congress veteran warned that replacing a long-standing ally such as the DMK with a “new and uncertain partner” could hurt the party’s credibility and weaken its position in Tamil Nadu politics over time.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on May 08, 2026 01:16 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).