Chennai, June 8 (IANS) For the first time in recent years, Tamil Nadu found itself without representation at a meeting of the opposition INDIA bloc on Monday, reflecting the deep political realignments that have emerged in the state following the recent Assembly elections.

The absence was notable as neither the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK), once among the alliance’s most influential southern partners, nor Chief Minister C. Joseph Vijay’s ruling Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK) participated in the gathering.

While the DMK chose to stay away amid deteriorating relations with the Congress, the TVK was not invited to the meeting because it currently has no representation in either House of Parliament.

According to alliance sources, participation in the INDIA bloc meeting was restricted to parties with members in the Lok Sabha or Rajya Sabha.

Although the TVK emerged victorious in the Tamil Nadu Assembly elections and subsequently formed the state government with Congress support, the party does not possess an independent parliamentary presence.

Political observers point out that TVK’s absence is linked to a strategic decision taken after the Assembly elections. As part of efforts to strengthen ties with the Congress, the party allotted its lone vacant Rajya Sabha seat to its ally, leaving it without direct representation in the Parliament.

The larger development, however, remains the widening rift between the DMK and the Congress.

The Congress’s decision to break its decades-long alliance with the DMK and align with Vijay’s TVK to form the government in Tamil Nadu has triggered sharp resentment within the DMK leadership and rank-and-file workers.

Senior DMK leaders have repeatedly accused the Congress of abandoning a long-standing political partnership in favour of a regional rival. The party leadership has maintained that the sentiments of its cadre cannot be ignored and has therefore avoided participating in meetings where Congress plays a central role. The tensions have become increasingly visible in the Parliament as well. DMK leaders have sought separate seating arrangements for their MPs, underscoring the growing political distance between the two former allies.

The developments mark a significant shift in Opposition politics, with Tamil Nadu’s two major Dravidian parties now positioned outside Monday’s INDIA bloc deliberations, leaving the influential southern state without a voice in the alliance’s latest round of consultations.

–IANS

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