Chennai

Tamil Nadu Congress Committee (TNCC) president K Selvaperunthagai on Friday said alliance talks between the Congress and the ruling Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) will formally begin on February 22, asserting that the INDIA bloc remains united despite the BJP’s alleged attempts to weaken it.

Speaking to reporters in Chennai, Selvaperunthagai said discussions with the DMK were progressing smoothly ahead of the 2026 Tamil Nadu Assembly elections.

“The election process is going very smoothly. Negotiations are ongoing and we are going to start on February 22. Nothing the BJP is thinking will happen. They want to pull someone out of the INDIA alliance to split the vote bank, but it will not happen. We are intact as an alliance,” he said.

Reacting to Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK) chief Vijay’s recent remark that “SOP” in Tamil Nadu stood for “Stalin Operating Procedure” at a Salem rally, Selvaperunthagai said standard operating procedures apply to all political parties.

On Congress leader Rahul Gandhi’s proposed visit to the state, he said the party had sought permission for the visit in the last week of February well in advance. “We accepted the SOP. Everyone should accept it because people’s security and safety are very important,” he added.

Commenting on the recent death of a man at a Salem rally, Selvaperunthagai alleged lapses in arrangements at public events and stressed the need for basic facilities. Referring to past incidents, including the Karur stampede, he said such tragedies could be avoided with proper planning. “Minimum facilities like water, seating areas and safe venues must be ensured,” he said.

The TNCC chief also criticised Tamil Nadu BJP president Nainar Nagendran over reported remarks involving actors Vijay and Trisha, saying it was inappropriate to comment on personal lives.

Welcoming the Tamil Nadu government’s decision to deposit funds into the bank accounts of 1.31 crore women, Selvaperunthagai said the move would benefit poor and rural households affected by drought and inadequate rainfall. He also endorsed Chief Minister MK Stalin’s proposal under a “Dravidian Model 2.0” government to raise monthly assistance for women to ₹2,000, calling it a step towards greater rural women’s empowerment.

On Friday, Stalin announced that ₹5,000 had been credited this month to beneficiaries — ₹3,000 in advance for February to April and a ₹2,000 summer special package. He said the monthly assistance of ₹1,000 would be doubled to ₹2,000 if the DMK is re-elected.

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The announcement, made ahead of the 2026 Assembly polls, has drawn criticism from Opposition parties. The 234-member Tamil Nadu Assembly is scheduled to go to the polls in the first half of 2026.