Tamil Nadu Congress In Turmoil Ahead Of Assembly Polls

The Tamil Nadu Congress has landed in fresh trouble ahead of the 2026 Assembly elections, with MP Jothimani openly flagging internal conflict and another party functionary resigning while accusing state Congress chief K Selvaperunthagai of acting in favour of the DMK.

Congress MP and one of the prominent women faces of the party in Tamil Nadu, Jothimani, took to X to express concerns over the party's internal functioning. She said the Tamil Nadu Congress was moving towards destruction due to the selfish interests of a few individuals. 

In her post, she alleged that the party's current functioning was completely opposite to the selfless, ideologically firm and fearless politics of leader Rahul Gandhi. Jothimani opened up about internal conflict that puts Congress in a tough situation ahead of the 2026 election. 

She said, "No political party would want to prevent its MP from providing the list of polling agents to the Election Commission during an election. But it happens in the Congress party. The events taking place in the Tamil Nadu Congress are deeply worrying. The attempts to dilute the policy positions and political activities are deeply distressing. Every day, the Tamil Nadu Congress is in the news for the wrong reasons, not for the people's issues. Tamil Nadu is facing an unprecedented threat from religious, separatist, and violent forces.”

She added, “The Tamil Nadu Congress is going in the exact opposite direction to the selfless, principled and fearless politics of its leader Rahul Gandhi. We cannot betray his hard work and unparalleled sacrifice.”

எந்த ஒரு அரசியல் கட்சியும் ,தனது கட்சி நாடாளுமன்ற உறுப்பினரை,தேர்தல் நேரத்தில்,தேர்தல் ஆணையத்திற்கு வாக்குச் சாவடி முகவர் பட்டியலை கொடுக்க விடாமல் முடக்க வேண்டும் என்று நினைக்காது. ஆனால் காங்கிரஸ் கட்சியில் அது நடக்கிறது.

தமிழ்நாடு காங்கிரசில் நடைபெறும் விசயங்கள் மிகுந்த கவலை…

— Jothimani (@jothims) January 2, 2026

Reacting to Jothimani's post, state Congress chief K Selvaperunthagai said there were a few internal issues in her constituency and claimed that he had taken all the matters to the party high command.

Adding to the party's troubles, Congress functionary AP Surya Prakasam resigned from the party, levelling allegations against Selvaperunthagai. In his resignation note, Surya Prakasam said that Congress leader Praveen Chakravathy had stated factual information about Tamil Nadu's debt situation, but alleged that Selvaperunthagai behaved like a “mouthpiece” of the DMK. He also claimed that Congress cadres wanted an alliance with actor Vijay's TVK, but that this aspiration was being humiliated by the state Congress leadership.

The latest developments come amid a series of controversies involving the Tamil Nadu Congress in recent days. Praveen Chakravathy's remarks on the state's debt had drawn sharp criticism from the DMK and other alliance partners. Later, Congress leader Manickam Tagore cautioned alliance parties not to cross the “Lakshman Rekha.” Parties such as the VCK and MDMK later said their statements were taken out of context and that Chakravathy's comments had weakened the alliance.

The Congress has been part of the DMK-led alliance since the 2019 Lok Sabha elections, with the alliance remaining intact and successful so far. However, as the 2026 Assembly elections approach, the Congress has been demanding a greater share of power. With discussions around actor Vijay's TVK and seat-sharing options, the growing internal tussle is emerging as a major challenge for the party.