'DMK-Cong alliance strong, will back MK Stalin as CM': TN AICC in-charge Dinesh Gundu Rao

Asserting that the ties between Congress and DMK are as powerful as ever, AICC Tamil Nadu in-charge Dinesh Gundu Rao released a statement on Tuesday. The statement comes at a time when various factors are at play within the DMK party, and several talks brewing within the party about significant changes. 

Gearing up in preparation for the upcoming 2021 polls, the AICC TN In-charge explained how the plan of action for the Congress-DMK alliance is going strong and preparations are being made in a consistent manner. The Congress has been in alliance with the DMK since 2014, after the last time they stood alone in the elections securing 4.7% vote share. From then, until now, the alliance has seen a lot of changes. 

With several leaders from the Congress walking out complaining about the lack of proper management and guidance, including Khushbu Sundar, the Tamil Nadu representative from Congress who joined the BJP, political experts in Tamil Nadu opine that for the DMK- Congress Alliance to work, there will most likely be scrutiny with respect to major decisions taken within the party front, given the elections is merely six months away.

'The political scenario of Tamil Nadu is different'

In 2016, the Congress won only 8 out of 41 seats it managed to wrest from the DMK as an ally. In the 2019 Lok Sabha elections, however, Congress won from 8 out of the 9 seats they were allotted. Many within the party now are waiting to see how many seats will be allotted to the Congress for the 2021 elections and what will the strategy be for the same.

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Following the Bihar Elections, where the Congress had won a mere 17 out of the 90 seats it contested, several DMK supporters took to social media, questioning the party's stand on the alliance. 

Speaking on the allocation of seats, Dinesh Gundu Rao said, "We will not negotiate with the DMK on the distribution of seats in the Assembly Elections. The Bihar election results will not affect us. The political arena of Tamil Nadu is different." While the decision to form a coalition government if DMK comes to power in the 2021 elections is unclear, the statement issued by him reads, "Congress will support M K Stalin to become the Chief Minister."

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(Image credits: PTI)