DMK Leader R S Bharathi Rules Out Future Alliance with Congress, Likens Exit to 'Adultery'

Senior DMK leader R S Bharathi definitively ruled out any future reconciliation with the Congress party on Sunday, according to PTI. He launched a scathing attack on the national party, likening their alliance exit to "adultery" and saying that while some separations happen by mutual consent, this breakdown was akin to a partner engaging in a "clandestine relationship."

"We are not there in an alliance where Congress is present. I am clarifying that," Bharathi told the Press Trust of India. As reported by the news agency, he said that the Dravidian major will never welcome back defectors.

"No one lives with a wife who runs away. There is no longer any political ties or relationship with them. Even if the DMK leadership decides otherwise, the grassroots party cadres will never accept Congress back into the fold," Bharathi said to PTI.

The remarks follow the recent fracture between the traditional allies. Addressing criticism from Congress leader Manickam Tagore regarding the DMK's performance and alliance dynamics, Bharathi advised him to self-reflect on his own electoral victory first, according to PTI.

Local Polls Challenge

Bharathi issued a fierce electoral challenge to political rivals regarding the upcoming local body elections, demanding the polls be held as early as January. As reported by PTI, he dared opponents to secure even a single mayoral seat.

"In local body elections, people vote only for meritorious candidates. I challenge them: let elections be conducted in six months, say in January. If you can win even a single Mayor post, I will accept your strength. Are Annamalai and others ready to accept this challenge?" he told PTI.

Despite the current political landscape, the DMK remains ideologically uncompromised, the leader said. He firmly ruled out ever aligning with the BJP.

Slamming Defections and TVK

Taking a swipe at politicians frequently switching allegiances, Bharathi said to PTI that the "Aya Ram Gaya Ram" culture, which historically plagued northern states like Haryana, is now showing its face in Tamil Nadu. Targeting former AIADMK leaders and other politicians defecting to the BJP and newly formed parties, he added:

"People who shift from one party to another for positions will not last long. If the government falls in six months, they will all come running back to square one," Bharathi told PTI.

He also downplayed the recent electoral gains of actor-turned-politician Vijay's Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK), characterising the victory as a "jackpot lottery ticket" rather than an endorsement of ideology. The TVK only secured a 35% vote share, which Bharathi said to PTI meant 65% of the electorate voted against them.

"People voted simply looking at a face and due to social media campaigns on Instagram. Voters don't even know who their local MLAs or ministers are," he said to PTI.

Bharathi drew a parallel to how a single issue like onion prices once changed a government in Delhi. Likening the TVK's trajectory to Archimedes' principle, he told PTI, "the faster a ball goes up, the faster it will come down."