Letters to The Editor — May 7, 2026

Congress’s political moves

It is regrettable that the Congress party has degenerated into an untrustworthy political entity. It has shown no hesitation in shamelessly disowning the alliance that brought it to victory or jumping ship for the sake of power. Anyone who understands the pulse of Tamil Nadu politics knows this fact: if the Congress were to contest alone, its party workers would lose their security deposits. After winning by riding on the votes and the influence of the DMK, the Congress’s tendency to forget alliance ethics overnight and defect to the opposing side is a threat to democracy itself.

S. Padmanabhan,

Kochi, Kerala

The Congress’s move to support the Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam is troubling as it will undermine the INDIA bloc alliance. Such a shift ignores the political understanding that held the alliance together during the Assembly elections and the general election in 2024. It also overlooks the larger picture for the 2029 general election. Strategic decisions must be guided by long-term coherence, not short-term numbers.

A.B. Eddy,

Chennai

A Congress spokesperson has argued that since the TVK defeated the DMK, and the Congress too lost 23 of 28 seats it contested, there is no betrayal in the Congress supporting the TVK for government formation. The arithmetic is right; the logic is inverted. Both the Congress and the DMK were routed by the same force: the TVK. The Congress survived largely on the strength of the DMK. That it now uses those five seats as a kingmaker lever to install the very party that destroyed its alliance is not a political pivot — it is political parricide. The voter who elected a Congress MLA, voted against the TVK. That verdict has been laundered into its opposite within 48 hours.

Gopalaswamy J.,

Chennai

The TVK’s rise signals a public desire for political renewal, but its next steps will define its credibility. Seeking Congress support is pragmatic, yet an overreliance on legacy parties risks diluting its independent mandate. The future demands a careful balance — firm ideological clarity without rigid isolation. If the TVK can convert this moment into a model of transparent coalition-building and policy-driven governance, it may redefine regional politics. Otherwise, it risks becoming just another player in the same old power arithmetic.

Shahim Maindala,

Bantwal, Mangaluru