In a symbol of the deepening rift between two former allies, DMK MP Kanimozhi Karunanidhi has written to Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla requesting a change in seating arrangements for DMK members in the lower house. Citing the formal end of the DMK-Congress alliance due to “changed political circumstances” in Tamil Nadu, she argued that it is no longer appropriate for DMK MPs to sit alongside their erstwhile partners.
In her letter, Kanimozhi stated: “I write to respectfully request suitable changes in the seating arrangement of the MP belonging to the DMK in the Lok Sabha. In view of the changed political circumstances and as our alliance with the Indian National Congress has come to an end, it may not be appropriate for our Members to continue occupying the present seating arrangement alongside them in the House…” She urged the Speaker to allot separate seating so DMK MPs can “effectively discharge their responsibilities.”
DMK MP Kanimozhi has written a letter to the Lok Sabha Speaker, requesting a change of seating arrangement in the Lok Sabha.
— ANI (@ANI) May 8, 2026
"I write to respectfully request suitable changes in the seating arrangement of the MP belonging to the DMK in the Lok Sabha. In view of the changed… pic.twitter.com/nFFsjQmFnt
The move comes just days after the results of the Tamil Nadu Assembly elections triggered a political earthquake in the state. The polls produced a rare hung Assembly in the 234-member house. Actor-turned-politician C. Joseph Vijay’s nascent Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK), contesting its maiden election, emerged as the single-largest party with 108 seats, 10 short of the 118-seat majority. The ruling DMK secured 59 seats, its ally-turned-rival Congress won 5, the AIADMK took 47, and the BJP managed 1.
In a dramatic post-poll realignment, the Congress, which had been part of the DMK-led Secular Progressive Alliance (SPA) during the campaign, abruptly ended its decades-long partnership with the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam and extended support to TVK to help form the government. Based on this official support, TVK staked a claim before the Governor. However, the government rejected the proposal because the TCK-Congress alliance didn’t cross the majority mark.
DMK leaders, including outgoing Chief Minister M.K. Stalin, accused Congress of “backstabbing” and opportunism despite years of loyalty during national and state-level alliances.
The DMK-Congress partnership in Tamil Nadu dates back to the late 1960s and had endured through multiple electoral cycles, power-sharing arrangements, and the national INDI Alliance. Tensions had simmered earlier in 2026 over seat-sharing demands, but the post-poll switch by Congress proved fatal. Congress leaders described the move as honouring the “people’s mandate” and building a secular front, while DMK sources called it a betrayal after the party had “paid a high price for loyalty.”
