In a sharp political statement ahead of the 2026 Tamil Nadu Assembly elections, Congress leader and Member of Parliament Manickam Tagore has warned that the kind of political treatment meted out to Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar should “never happen” to AIADMK leader Edappadi K. Palaniswami. The remark came amid growing calls for political accountability and concerns over central government pressure on state leaders.
In a social media post, Manickam Tagore criticised the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)‑led Union government, alleging that Nitish Kumar was being sidelined from active politics. He said that despite being recognised as an “honest political leader” at the national level, Nitish was effectively being pushed out of his role as Chief Minister of Bihar — reportedly due to central political manoeuvres. Tagore said that this kind of situation — where a leader is forced to step aside for political convenience — should not be allowed to befall Palaniswami in Tamil Nadu.
Tagore accused the central BJP government of mistreating regional leaders by using agencies like the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) and the Enforcement Directorate (ED) as tools to exert pressure for political ends. He argued that Palaniswami was facing political pressure due to alliance dynamics and ambitions to gain power in the state. The Congress MP also reiterated his party’s stance that the BJP should not come to power in Tamil Nadu, stressing that all alliance partners should be prepared to make sacrifices and uphold “correct alliance principles”.
On the alliance front, Tagore said Congress fully accepted the leadership of Mallikarjun Kharge in negotiations and expressed readiness to work with allied parties if they acted with unity and mutual respect.