No direction from top brass to seek share in power, says TNCC chief Selvaperunthagai
His remarks came hours after former TNCC president KS Alagiri asserted that the Congress would press for presence in the Cabinet in future alliance talks and would also ask for more seats than it contested in 2021
TNCC chief Selvaperunthagai after garlanding the statue of Rettamalai Srinivasan on the social justice icon’s death anniversary
CHENNAI: Amid growing voices within the Tamil Nadu Congress Committee (TNCC) to seek a share in power with the DMK government post-2026 polls, if the alliance wins again, its state president K Selvaperunthagai on Thursday clarified that the All India Congress Committee (AICC) had not issued any such directive.
His remarks came hours after former TNCC president KS Alagiri asserted that the Congress would press for presence in the Cabinet in future alliance talks and would also ask for more seats than it contested in 2021. TNCC floor leader Rajesh Kumar and vice-president Pon Krishnamoorthy also shared similar demands.
Dismissing such talks as speculation, Selvaperunthagai said, “We can only act on what the AICC instructs. Until now, there has been no direction to seek a share in the Cabinet.”
Turning his attack on the BJP, the TNCC chief accused the Union government of running an “exploitative and corporate-driven regime” that prioritises industrial giants such as Ambani and Adani over the welfare of ordinary citizens. He alleged that the BJP would go to any length in the 2026 Assembly elections, including “manipulating and obstructing polls” to try to win the polls.
He further vowed that the INDIA bloc would counter the BJP’s “divisive tactics” and prevent the RSS ideology from gaining a foothold in the State.
On AIADMK general secretary Edappadi K Palaniswami’s recent meeting with Union Home Minister Amit Shah, Selvaperunthagai ridiculed the viral “handkerchief” episode and questioned why Palaniswami needed to conceal his face. “If he wanted to raise TN’s grievances, such as pending GST dues or education funds, he should have conveyed them directly to Modi instead of holding covert talks, “ he said.
Accusing the BJP of failing to deliver meaningful welfare schemes, Selvaperunthagai said, “The only achievement of the BJP is making Ambani and Adani richer, nothing for the common man.”
