Madurai (Tamil Nadu) [India], February 15 : Congress MP Manickam Tagore on Sunday said the party was "still awaiting the formation" of a committee by its ally, the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam, to hold discussions on alliance-related matters, asserting that the Congress "stands by its principles" as a national party.
Speaking to reporters in Tirupparankundram, Tagore said that 70 days had passed since the Congress was informed that a committee would be constituted for talks, but the party had yet to see any concrete progress in that direction.
"We are not like other parties that switch directions after merely putting on an indicator and turning right. We are a national party with principles. We are in an alliance with the DMK as part of the INDIA bloc. It has been 70 days since we were told that a committee would be formed for talks, and we are still waiting. They have now said that the committee will be formed on the 22nd February. We believe that we will receive the respect that is due to us," Tagore told reporters.
The Congress and the DMK are key constituents of the opposition's INDIA bloc and have been long-time allies in Tamil Nadu politics.
The remarks come amid discussions on coordination and seat-sharing within the alliance as political parties begin preparations for the state polls later this year. The DMK, led by Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin, has been a dominant political force in the state and plays a central role in opposition coordination at the national level.
Earlier on Saturday, in an indirect swipe at the DMK, Tagore referred to a remark by Tamil Nadu Minister Raja Kannappan about the party winning 160 seats while contesting 170 constituencies in the state elections.
In a post on X, Tagore said that in 2021, the DMK contested 173 seats and won 133, and questioned its performance in constituencies where it lost. He stressed that power-sharing is essential and that a share in governance is the party's right, adding that the people would ultimately decide.
"In 2021, we contested in 173 places and won 133..What we're asking is about the places where you faced defeat. Power-sharing is essential. Governance share is our right. The people will decide," Tagore wrote on 'X'.
The Tamil Nadu assembly consists of 234 seats, of which the DMK-Congress alliance won 151 in the 2021 elections.