"Who said that I resigned?": Manickam Tagore rubbishes reports of quitting Congress' Tamil Nadu election committee
New Delhi, April 2
Congress MP Manickam Tagore on Thursday rubbished the reports of his resignation as chairman of the party's Tamil Nadu election management and coordination committee.
When asked about the reports, Manickam Tagore told ANI, "Who said that I resigned?"
The Congress leader's statement came amid a speculated rift within the party over deciding the names of the candidates for 28 seats in the 2026 Tamil Nadu Legislative Assembly elections.
In the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK)-led Secular Progressive Alliance, the DMK is contesting on 164 out of the 234 constituencies in the state, while 70 seats have been allocated to its alliance partners.
These partners include the Congress Party with 28 seats, the Communist Party of India (CPI) with 5 seats, the Communist Party of India (Marxist) (CPI(M)) with 5 seats, VCK with 8 seats, and MDMK with 4 seats. Other smaller parties in the alliance include the Desiya Murpokku Dravida Kazhagam (DMDK) with 10 seats, the Indian Union Muslim League (IUML) with 2 seats, and several other regional parties.
Tamil Nadu will go to the polls in a single phase on April 23, with counting scheduled for May 4.
The main electoral contest is expected between the DMK-led Secular Progressive Alliance (SPA), which includes Congress, DMDK, and the VCK, and the National Democratic Alliance (NDA), led by AIADMK with the BJP and Pattali Makkal Katchi (PMK) as allies. Actor-turned-politician Vijay-led TVK is attempting to turn the state elections into a three-way contest.
In the 2021 polls, the DMK won 133 seats in the 2021 Assembly polls. Congress won 18, PMK won five, VCK won four, and others won eight seats. The Secular Progressive Alliance (SPA), led by DMK, which consisted of Congress, won 159 seats collectively.
While the NDA won 75 seats, the AIADMK emerged as the largest party in the alliance with 66 seats.
— ANI
Reader Comments
As an observer, this seems like internal friction over ticket distribution. With only 28 seats, Congress leaders are probably jostling for influence. Tagore's strong denial suggests he wants to stay in a key position. The DMK-led alliance looks strong on paper, but unity is key.
"Who said that I resigned?" – What a classic line! 😄 This is how our netas operate. The real news is the seat-sharing math. Congress getting 28 seats is decent, but they need to win most of them to remain a relevant partner. 2026 is crucial for them in TN.
Respectfully, this kind of speculation journalism doesn't help. Media should verify before publishing. It distracts from the actual election agenda—development, jobs, and infrastructure. Let's hope for a clean, issue-based campaign.
The alliance arithmetic is fascinating. DMK with 164, Congress 28, and so many smaller parties. Managing all these partners is a task itself. The NDA seems more streamlined with AIADMK-BJP-PMK. Will the 'third front' by Vijay make any dent? Doubtful.
From the 2021 numbers, the SPA has a clear advantage. But two years is a long time in politics. The BJP is working hard in the state. Internal rumors like this one about Tagore can weaken the Congress's position if not handled firmly. He did the right thing to deny it quickly.
We welcome thoughtful discussions from our readers. Please keep comments respectful and on-topic.