Tamil Nadu Congress on Path of Destruction Due to Infighting, Says MP S Jothimani

Congress Lok Sabha MP S Jothimani has publicly voiced sharp criticism of the Tamil Nadu Congress unit, warning that the party in the state is slowly moving towards “destruction” due to internal infighting and the selfish conduct of a few leaders.

In a strongly worded social media post on Friday, Jothimani alleged that the functioning of the Tamil Nadu Congress Committee (TNCC) was drifting away from the values and political ideals upheld by senior Congress leader Rahul Gandhi. Without naming specific individuals, she accused a section of leaders of undermining the party from within at a critical time.

“We cannot betray Rahul Gandhi’s hard work, sacrifices and fearless politics,” Jothimani said, adding that the present trajectory of the TN Congress was directly opposite to the selfless and principled politics championed by the Congress leadership at the national level.

The MP alleged serious organisational lapses, claiming that even basic electoral preparations were being deliberately sabotaged. She said that in an unprecedented move, attempts were made to obstruct the submission of polling station agents’ lists by elected MPs to the Election Commission despite elections approaching.

Tamil Nadu is scheduled to go to the Assembly polls in March–April this year.

Jothimani said the state unit was frequently making headlines, not for raising public issues but for “wrong reasons,” adding that such developments were deeply distressing for committed party workers. She accused the leadership of diluting ideological politics and focusing excessively on electoral arithmetic instead of people-centric issues.

Highlighting the broader political context, the Congress MP warned that Tamil Nadu was facing an unprecedented threat from communal, divisive and violent forces. She said certain groups were attempting to seize power by exploiting emotions while erasing the state’s legacy of social justice, self-respect and inclusive welfare politics — ideals nurtured by leaders such as K Kamaraj and E V Ramasamy.

“In such a scenario, all political parties carry a huge responsibility while approaching elections. The question is whether the Congress party in Tamil Nadu has fully understood this responsibility,” she remarked.

Jothimani also reminded the leadership that despite being out of power in Tamil Nadu for nearly six decades, Congress workers continue to carry the party flag with pride across villages and towns. Ignoring their sentiments, she said, would further weaken the organisation.

She warned that unchecked infighting, lack of discipline and absence of ideological clarity were pushing the party towards decline. “Rather than strengthening ideology-based politics, the party is gradually heading towards destruction due to the selfish interests of a few,” she said, calling upon genuine Congress workers to intervene and prevent further damage.

Reacting to the remarks, TNCC president K Selvaperunthagai declined to comment, with sources close to him dismissing the allegations as untrue.

The comments come amid broader tensions within the Tamil Nadu Congress and debates over alliance dynamics with the ruling Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) ahead of the 2026 Assembly elections.