How Selvaperunthagai had the last laugh as Congress-DMK teetered on brink

In the high-octane world of Tamil Nadu politics, where alliances are forged and fractured overnight, Tamil Nadu Congress Committee (TNCC) president K Selvaperunthagai has proven to be a rock. A skillful dealmaker who kept the Congress-DMK alliance firmly on track even while Girish Chodankar, Praveen Chakravarthy and Manickam Tagore took public shots at the DMK leadership and left the alliance on the brink.

Late last year, even as talks were on with the DMK, the Congress's national spokesperson, Praveen Chakravarthy, met actor and Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK) chief Vijay, who had been relentlessly criticising the Dravidian party. The meeting triggered strong resentment within DMK circles.

Party sources noted that the interaction only reinforced the growing perception that Rahul Gandhi himself was keen on building a friendly relationship with the TVK. Meanwhile, several Congress leaders accused Virudhunagar MP Manickam Tagore of undermining the alliance — repeatedly attacking the DMK in public and demanding a share in governance.

Long-term disharmony

The souring of relations between long-term allies Congress and DMK did not happen suddenly. After the DMK returned to power in 2021, the party allegedly failed to honour seat-sharing promises within the alliance in the subsequent panchayat and municipal elections. Congress leaders were left deeply frustrated.

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MPs complained that the DMK government provided no support for development works in their constituencies. Despite being alliance partners, Congress received no benefits, contracts, board memberships, or chairmanships, they said.

And yet, ahead of the 2019 Lok Sabha election, it was DMK chief MK Stalin who first proposed Rahul Gandhi’s name as the prime ministerial face of the Opposition alliance, when even many Congress leaders hesitated to do so. This “natural alliance,” as senior leaders later described it, was always seen as essential to counter the BJP.

But this did not patch up the cracks in the alliance. By 2024-25, it was under severe strain, with whispers of a potential Congress shift towards Vijay’s TVK. Widespread speculation suggested that Rahul favoured an alliance with the TVK, but Selvaperunthagai worked closely with Congress veterans P Chidambaram and Mallikarjun Kharge until the very end to ensure this did not happen.

Thinker and doer

Whenever central leaders Girish Chodankar or KC Venugopal visited Chennai, Selvaperunthagai personally drove their cars on at least three occasions to prevent any secret meetings with TVK leaders. He also discreetly managed their accommodation and meetings. In one instance, a hotel was officially booked, but Selvaperunthagai quietly shifted the leaders to an entirely different hotel to maintain complete secrecy.

Interestingly, Selvaperunthagai started his career driving for Congress veteran Maragatham Chandrasekar. He later entered politics as a Viduthalai Chiruthaigal Katchi (VCK) MLA before joining the Congress and rising to become its state unit president.

It was never a smooth ride. Several Congress workers turned against Selvaperunthagai. Some resigned in protest. As late as January 2026, Congress state executive committee member Surya Prakash publicly announced his exit from the party, accusing Selvaperunthagai of blocking a TVK alliance.

Dire warnings

Karur MP Jothimani Sennimalai, a key figure in Rahul Gandhi’s camp, launched a blistering attack, warning that Tamil Nadu Congress was “heading for destruction” due to the “selfish motives of a few individuals” and deepening factionalism. She accused Selvaperuthagai of abandoning principled politics in favour of mere “additions and subtractions” for personal gain.

Selvaperunthagai remained unfazed. He calmly referred to her as “my dear sister,” confirmed that issues related to Karur district booth agents had been resolved, and promised help for any future issues.

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Tamil Nadu Congress in-charge Chodankar, in an interview, said the party would grow in Tamil Nadu only if it secured power and fulfilled promises to the people. He told a leading daily newspaper that “governance is needed for growth."

Whenever such statements threatened the alliance, Selvaperunthagai ironed it out. In one instance, he made Kanyakumari MP Vijay Vasanth publicly declare that Chodankar’s remarks were his “personal opinion." Later, Selvaperunthagai claimed the media had “twisted” Chodankar's comments.

Personal and professional

Selvaperunthagai's daughter Akshaya Priya got engaged on March 3, but this did not bring his political work to a halt. At 8 am, he met Chidambaram at his residence for two hours for intense strategy discussions. He then personally escorted Chidambaram to DMK headquarters Arivalayam, in Chennai, where the two leaders held another two-hour closed-door meeting with Stalin.

For hours together, Selvaperunthagai single-mindedly battled to protect the DMK-Congress alliance, shuttling between Arivalayam and Chidambaram’s house, even while his daughter’s engagement event waited on the sidelines.

With Rahul eminently inclined towards a TVK alliance, Selvaperunthagai bypassed the usual channels and escalated the negotiations straight to Delhi, appealing to Congress Parliamentary Party chairperson Sonia Gandhi through Kharge and Chidambaram, according to party insiders. Sonia is said to have intervened on March 3, and a seat-sharing deal was sealed the same day. The Congress secured 28 Assembly seats, against 25 in 2021, besides one Rajya Sabha seat.

Narrative management

This did not end the rumblings within the party. Chodankar continued to speak against the alliance, reportedly telling associates it fell far short of expectations. This left many veterans feeling that though the deal was sealed, the morale remained damaged.

Selvaperunthagai refused to let the narrative slip. He quickly summoned journalists from TV channels and, up to 10 pm on Wednesday, gave back-to-back interviews asserting that the alliance talks concluded smoothly. “We are fully satisfied and extremely happy with the outcome," he insisted.

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A close and fervent supporter of Rahul Gandhi, speaking on the condition of anonymity, said it was Sonia Gandhi’s firm intervention, combined with the growing frustration and strong resistance from senior Congress leaders, that ultimately forced the party back into the DMK alliance, overriding Rahul’s preference.

Lost chance for Congress?

Political analyst Kanniappan Elangovan remarked that a Congress-TVK alliance, had it materialised, would have greatly benefited the Congress's long-term growth in Tamil Nadu. “Congress possesses experienced senior leaders but lacks youthful energy and a strong cadre base, whereas TVK has powerful grassroots strength but no veteran leaders to guide it,” he said.

Even at the grassroots level, Congress workers and office-bearers overwhelmingly wanted the pact because the DMK had sidelined them in the field, he added. “However, it appears that a section of Congress leaders exerted pressure to continue with the DMK alliance for their personal benefit,” he remarked.

Selvaperunthagai’s wish ultimately came true. Will disillusioned Congress workers and voters wholeheartedly support the DMK alliance on the ground again? Selvaperunthagai will have a fitting answer to that, too.