Overview
- Congress leaders say a five-member committee is ready to negotiate, while the DMK has not formed its counterpart despite recent top-level contacts.
- Karti P. Chidambaram rejected talk of a rupture in the INDIA bloc but faulted the DMK for delays and argued the alliance is essential for victory.
- Congress high command called an urgent meeting in New Delhi to consider whether to continue with the DMK or explore a tie-up with Vijay’s TVK, according to party reports.
- Senior DMK figures in Puducherry indicated the party intends to contest three constituencies in Karaikal, reflecting spillover from the Tamil Nadu impasse.
- Alliance strains surfaced in Puducherry as the DMK met allies without the Congress and Congress MP Manickam Tagore questioned the DMK’s claim to lead there based on vote share.