A war of words broke out between Congress MPs B. Manickam Tagore and Jothimani over DMK president M.K. Stalin’s criticism that the Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK) was indulging in horse-trading after three AIADMK MLAs resigned from their posts and joined the ruling party on Monday (May 25, 2026).

Responding to Mr. Stalin, Mr. Tagore, representing the Virudhunagar Lok Sabha constituency, asked in a social media post on Monday why the DMK president was “screaming over the resignation of the three AIADMK MLAs.” “They have openly joined the TVK after their resignation. This is a political decision that took place in front of the public,” he said.

Mr. Tagore also took a dig at the DMK, claiming that the people of Tamil Nadu knew who tried to play [politics] with those in power at the Centre without respecting the public’s mandate. “They also know who stood up to save the people’s government,” he remarked.

Cannot take dual stand: Jothimani

However, on Tuesday (May 26), Karur MP Jothimani said that the Congress cannot take a dual stand of supporting horse-trading within Tamil Nadu while opposing it outside the State.

“Horse-trading was the weapon used by the BJP to weaken democracy and the Congress in India. The BJP has been employing horse-trading in various States, against the people’s mandate, for preventing the Congress from forming government or preventing a Congress government from continuing in power,” she said.

“If the Congress acts like a force to weaken the democracy, it would be a historical betrayal to the ideologies of [M.K.] Gandhi and [Jawaharlal] Nehru,” she said.

Ms. Jothimani said that the Congress would support the TVK for good governance, but her party could not back all its actions. “Such acts should be strengthening the democracy, not weakening it,” she said. The party should also not mince words to express its opinion in such situations, she said, adding that no member of the party can justify horse-trading.

Reacting to Ms. Jothimani’s veiled remark against him, Mr. Tagore made a pointed attack on social media, claiming that the Karur MP had not uttered a word in the last three days, when the DMK had denigrated the Congress and its leader Mr. Gandhi and termed the national party “a parasite and traitor.”

Ms. Jothimani reacted to Mr. Tagore remarks, wondering what these “sudden” DMK opposers were doing before the TVK was formed, and when comments were made portraying Congress leader Kamaraj in poor light.

The Karur MP recalled few incidents wherein she had vociferously revolted against the DMK in the past, when the situation warranted it, even as the Congress was in alliance with the Dravidian party.