Reports of cracks between the Congress-DMK alliance emerged again on Friday, September 7, as Tamil Nadu Congress chief, KS Alagiri addressed a rally in Tamil Nadu’s Nanguneri.

While addressing the cadres at the rally, KS Alagiri asked, “ Why can’t congress contest alone in the elections? Why are we just being just an opposition party in the state for the last 50 years?” 

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'Why can't Congress fight alone?' - KS Alagiri

The address to the cadres at Nanguneri of Tirunelveli district comes ahead of the legislative assembly by-polls which are yet to be announced. In the same rally, Congress chief Alagiri also suggested the idea for congress to contest the elections alone.

He said, “ Why can’t we contest alone when we have a strong base in the South of Tamil Nadu? We have strong roots in Kanyakumari, Tuticorin and Tirunelveli districts.

KS Alagiri’s remarks on contesting the elections alone ahead of the assemble by-polls have raised a lot of questions of a potential crack between DMK and Congress in Tamil Nadu. 

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'Party will reveal plans for Nanguneri post official poll-notification'- MK Stalin

Earlier DMK Party President MK Stalin said DMK will reveal its plan for Nanguneri by-polls after official poll-notification will come through. Congress has meanwhile decided to field its candidate again from the Nanguneri seat of Tamil Nadu. 

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Nanguneri seat of Tirunelveli district has been vacant since Congress MLA, H.Vasanthakumar was elected to the Lok Sabha from the Kanyakumari constituency in May. Currently, out of 234 (+1 nominated), AIADMK has 123 seats, DMK has 100 and Indian National Congress (INC) has 7. Tamil Nadu Assembly polls last happened in 2016 with AIADMK winning maximum seats, became the ruling party and DMK with its 100 seats became the opposition in the assembly. Tamil Nadu Assembly polls are next scheduled to happen in the year 2021. 

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