Congress Leader Girish Chodankar Defends Alliance Politics, Recalls DMK’s Exit Before 2014 Polls

Chennai, May 2026 : Tamil Nadu Congress in-charge Girish Chodankar on Sunday launched a strong political response to criticism directed at the Congress party and its alliance decisions, while also recalling what he described as the “major betrayal” by the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) ahead of the 2014 Lok Sabha elections.

In a post on social media platform X, Chodankar said political parties were free to criticise Congress and its leadership, but stressed that the democratic verdict delivered by the people of Tamil Nadu should not be insulted or undermined.

“You may attack us if you wish, but do not attack the people of Tamil Nadu who voted for us,” he said, asserting that criticism was a natural part of democracy, but questioning the wisdom of voters crossed a line.

Chodankar stated that the people of Tamil Nadu had repeatedly demonstrated political awareness and maturity in exercising their franchise. According to him, electoral outcomes reflected the collective judgment of the public and deserved respect irrespective of political differences.

He said disagreements among parties should remain within the framework of democratic debate and should not turn into attempts to belittle or dismiss the mandate given by voters.

The Congress leader further noted that the party had consciously maintained restraint despite repeated criticism directed at its leaders and organisational decisions. He said Congress had deliberately chosen not to revisit several political episodes from the past in the interest of maintaining constructive political discourse.

However, Chodankar referred to what he called a “major betrayal” by the DMK before the 2014 Lok Sabha elections, when the regional party walked out of the Congress-led alliance after nearly a decade of political association.

Without going into the details of the split, he indicated that Congress could have repeatedly highlighted the episode in response to current criticism but had instead preferred to avoid reopening old political wounds.

The Congress leader also underlined what he described as the party’s commitment to respecting public opinion and electoral verdicts with humility. He said political competition and ideological differences were natural in a democracy, but parties must continue to respect the people’s mandate.

His remarks come at a time when alliance politics and electoral strategies have once again become central to political discussions in Tamil Nadu following recent political developments and shifting equations among major parties.

Tamil Nadu has traditionally witnessed strong coalition politics involving national and regional parties, with alliances often playing a decisive role in parliamentary and Assembly elections. Political equations between Congress, DMK, and other parties have evolved significantly over the years, influencing both state and national politics.

Chodankar reiterated that while parties may continue to engage in criticism and political battles, the democratic choice made by the people must remain above partisan attacks.

He stressed that respecting voters and their mandate was fundamental to democratic politics and urged political rivals not to target the electorate while attacking parties or leaders.