After the massive electoral debacle in the 2019 Lok Sabha elections, problems for Congress seem to be spiraling on an accelerated pace. Out of the total 424 Parliamentary Constituencies Congress contested on, it registered a defeat on a massive 372 seats winning just on 52 seats. Adding more problems for the Grand old party which is already suffering a leadership crisis, former DMK Minister K.N. Nehru has called for the DMK to go alone in the local body elections, without its ally, the Congress.
Barely a few months old the alliance between DMK and Congress party already seems to be facing troubled waters. DMK, one of the biggest regional allies of the Congress, won on 23 seats in the 2019 general elections.
“if we are to be of use to the people, we should contest the local body election alone. How long can we remain the palanquin bearers? We have been doing so for long.” The DMK leader said he would tell his Party president, while speaking at the party’s protest demonstration on the drinking water crisis in Tiruchi.
Mr. Nehru also said, “When we were in alliance with the Congress, people like Mayura Jayakumar continuously criticized the DMK regime. They spoilt the relations between us and Congress. Yet, we worked for them as per the alliance dharma in the recent elections and all have won.” Mr. Nehru’s comments come after a Congress functionary’s reported statement that they would seek a good number of seats in South Chennai as part of the DMK-led alliance.
“Only leaders should speak about seat sharing and not all and sundry. If they vie with one another in their ego fight and claim that they would get 50 or 80 seats, where would the DMK members go?” Mr. Nehru wondered. He further added that the party must go it alone at least in Tiruchi, he said.
The Congress over its continually declining popularity has been under pressure from its allies over logical seat sharing agreements. While Congress party still remains in the hangover of its ruling days, the regional leaders seem to have noted the new direction of winds and are calling for their fair share of seats.
Mr. Nehru later clarified that he had made these remarks only in “response to their statements”. “I only said I will convey my views to my party leader that the DMK should contest the maximum number of seats,” he said to The Hindu. However hasty moves and remarks like these are surely not a good sign for the longevity of the alliance. Congress’ inability to recognize that it has been just been reduced to a vote-cutter party has made alliances with several regional parties untenable and signs of a schism between Congress-DMK are surely not a positive sign. However, it remains to be seen, how Congress party with its all-time low popularity is able to maneuver around these turbulent waters.