DMK Confident Of Solo Victory, Stalin Signals No Power Sharing With Congress Ahead Of 2026 Polls

Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin on Wednesday expressed strong confidence that the DMK would return to power on its own in the 2026 Assembly elections, even as the party continues its alliance with the Congress. Speaking at the India Today Tamil Nadu Roundtable, Stalin dismissed speculation of a fallout with the Congress and underscored that the question of power sharing did not arise at this stage.

Calling his relationship with Congress leader Rahul Gandhi a “brotherly attachment,” Stalin sought to play down alliance tensions while making it clear that the DMK was well-positioned to secure a mandate independently. He said the DMK–Congress alliance remained intact for the upcoming polls and would contest together, but governance decisions would be addressed only after the elections.

The DMK chief recalled the party’s 2021 performance, when it won 133 of 234 seats and formed the government without coalition support, despite the Congress winning 18 seats as an ally. He maintained that the DMK was confident of expanding its footprint further this time.

Stalin also launched a sharp attack on the NDA, dismissing the BJP’s “double engine” pitch as hollow and branding it a “dabba engine,” or an empty vessel. He accused the NDA of spreading divisive politics and attempting to polarise voters through misinformation, hate and communal rhetoric. According to him, such strategies would fail in Tamil Nadu, where people would deliver a decisive setback to the alliance.

His remarks came amid efforts by the BJP to strengthen its presence in the state by bringing parties such as the AIADMK, AMMK and PMK into the NDA fold. Stalin, however, asserted that Tamil Nadu would reject what he described as provocative and exclusionary politics, reiterating his confidence in the DMK’s return to power.