&imwidth=800&imheight=600&format=webp&quality=medium "Congress support to Vijay triggers INDIA bloc rift, DMK seeks separate Lok Sabha seating")
In a move that signals a formal breakdown within one of the INDIA bloc’s key alliances, the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) on Friday sought a separate seating arrangement in the Lok Sabha, distancing itself from its long-time ally, the Indian National Congress.
The request was submitted by DMK parliamentary leader Kanimozhi Karunanidhi to Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla, citing “changed political circumstances” following the fallout from the Tamil Nadu Assembly election results. She said it was no longer appropriate for DMK MPs to sit alongside Congress members in the House.
The decades-old DMK–Congress alliance, which had largely remained intact since 2004, began to fracture after Congress extended support to actor-turned-politician Vijay and his party, Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK) to form the government in Tamil Nadu.
Despite contesting the state elections as part of the DMK-led coalition, Congress shifted its stance after Vijay emerged as a key political force. The development has triggered a widening rift within the opposition INDIA bloc, with DMK holding 22 MPs as one of its major constituents.
In her letter to the Speaker, DMK parliamentary leader Kanimozhi formally requested a change in seating arrangement. “I write to respectfully request suitable changes in the seating arrangement of the Members of Parliament belonging to the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) in the Lok Sabha. In view of the changed political circumstances and as our alliance with the Indian National Congress has come to an end, it may not be appropriate for our Members to continue occupying the present seating arrangement alongside them in the House,” she wrote.
She further stated, “I therefore request your good office to kindly make the necessary arrangements for the Hon’ble Members of the DMK Parliamentary Party to be allotted separate seating, enabling them to effectively discharge their responsibilities in the August House.”
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The DMK Legislature Party had earlier passed a resolution criticising Congress’s decision, calling it a “sudden political shift” and a “betrayal.” Party leaders also pointed out that Congress had previously secured one Rajya Sabha seat and 28 Assembly constituencies due to DMK’s “patience and magnanimity.”
Meanwhile, political equations in Tamil Nadu continue to shift rapidly. Actor-turned-politician Vijay now appears set to cross the majority mark in the fractured Tamil Nadu Assembly, backed by Congress, VCK, CPI and CPI(M).
The situation shifted after CPI(M), CPI and VCK also joined the bloc, placing TVK in a strong position to stake a claim for government formation.
The alliance currently has TVK with 108 seats, Congress 5, CPI 2, CPI(M) 2 and VCK 2, taking its total to 119 seats. With this, the bloc has crossed the 118-seat halfway mark in the Tamil Nadu Assembly, strengthening its claim to form the government.
