MDMK leader Vaiko has responded strongly to Congress MP Manickam Tagore’s recent comments urging allied parties in the INDIA bloc to respect a “Lakshmana Rekha” — a line of alliance discipline — amid rising political tensions in Tamil Nadu.Speaking to reporters on the first day of the new year, Vaiko dismissed Tagore’s warning, saying that his party does not have the habit of crossing any “Lakshmana Rekha.” He emphasized that the Marumalarchi Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (MDMK) has always respected alliance boundaries and has never overstepped limits in coalition politics.
“We have never crossed the Lakshmana Rekha,” Vaiko said, adding that the MDMK believes in upholding coalition ethics and respecting the leadership and decisions of the alliance. He stressed that his party would not publicly criticize or undermine any partner in the coalition.
The disagreement stems from recent comments by Praveen Chakravarty, a senior Congress leader, who compared Tamil Nadu’s debt situation unfavorably with Uttar Pradesh’s in a social media post. This remark triggered criticism from several INDIA bloc allies, including MDMK and VCK, who felt it cast the DMK-led state government in a negative light.
Manickam Tagore had earlier urged allies such as the MDMK not to interfere in the internal matters of the Congress or attempt to dictate how the grand old party should manage its leadership and policy positions. He stressed that differences of opinion should be handled within coalition forums rather than played out publicly, warning that airing disputes could set a “dangerous precedent.”
In his clarification, Vaiko also noted that there is no rift between MDMK and the Congress and that his critique was specifically aimed at Praveen Chakravarty’s comments, not the party as a whole. He said he had directly communicated this to Manickam Tagore over the phone to clear up any misunderstanding.
This exchange underlines the delicate balancing act within the INDIA alliance in Tamil Nadu as parties navigate differing perspectives ahead of the 2026 Assembly elections, ensuring unity while voicing concerns about governance and regional issues.