PM Modi says Congress betrayed DMK, targets party’s power struggle in K’taka
# Modi Slams Congress Over DMK & Karnataka Feud
By Senior Political Correspondent, National News Desk, May 11, 2026
Prime Minister Narendra Modi launched a scathing political attack on the Indian National Congress on Sunday, May 10, 2026, accusing the grand old party of historically betraying its longtime ally, the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK). Addressing a highly energized rally, PM Modi sharply criticized Congress for its past use of central powers to dismiss regional governments and simultaneously mocked the ongoing internal power struggle within the Congress-ruled Karnataka administration. The Prime Minister’s remarks aim to systematically exploit widening fault lines within the opposition coalition, aggressively pushing the Bharatiya Janata Party’s (BJP) narrative of stable governance as regional power dynamics rapidly shift across Southern India ahead of crucial electoral milestones.
## Unearthing Historical Grievances: The DMK-Congress Dynamic
During his Sunday address, Prime Minister Modi focused heavily on the turbulent historical relationship between the Congress and the DMK. While the two parties are currently vital cogs in the opposition alliance, their past is marred by intense friction. Modi reminded the electorate of the decades where the Congress, dominating the central government, frequently utilized **Article 356** of the Constitution to dismiss democratically elected regional state governments.
“The Congress party speaks of democratic alliances today, but the people of Tamil Nadu have not forgotten how the same party repeatedly betrayed and dismissed the DMK governments when it suited their dynastic political needs,” the Prime Minister stated, according to the primary report. [Source: Hindustan Times]
This assertion points directly to the events of 1991, when the then-central government, heavily backed by the Congress, dismissed the M. Karunanidhi-led DMK government in Tamil Nadu. Furthermore, political historians frequently cite the 1997 crisis, when the Congress effectively pulled down the United Front government at the Centre by demanding the expulsion of DMK ministers following the controversial Jain Commission report. By resurrecting these historical betrayals, the BJP’s paramount leader is attempting to seed doubt among grassroots DMK cadres about the reliability of their national partner.
Dr. S. R. Krishnan, a Chennai-based political analyst and historian, explains the strategy: “The Prime Minister is effectively weaponizing political memory. By reminding Tamil voters of the 1970s, 1990s, and even the UPA-era tensions where DMK leaders faced the brunt of federal investigations, the BJP hopes to portray the Congress as a fundamentally opportunistic ally that uses regional Dravidian parties merely as stepping stones to power.” [Source: Independent Political Analysis]
## Targeting the “Governance Paralysis” in Karnataka
Pivoting from historical alliances to current administrative capabilities, PM Modi launched a blistering critique of the Congress’s governance in neighboring Karnataka. Following their decisive assembly election victory in May 2023, the Congress government in Karnataka has been repeatedly shadowed by rumors of an intense, unwritten power-sharing agreement between Chief Minister **Siddaramaiah** and Deputy Chief Minister **D.K. Shivakumar**.
Now, three years into the administration—the exact timeframe speculated for a potential leadership handover—the internal divisions have become increasingly visible. The Prime Minister categorized this situation as a “blatant power struggle” that has paralyzed state development and compromised the state’s financial stability.
“In Karnataka, the only work happening is the daily battle for the Chief Minister’s chair. The public treasury is being emptied, development projects are stalled, and the state leadership is entirely consumed by internal factionalism,” PM Modi remarked, highlighting the alleged administrative decay. [Source: Hindustan Times]
The Prime Minister’s accusations align with growing criticism from local industry leaders in Bengaluru, who have recently raised concerns over neglected urban infrastructure and the reallocation of capital expenditure funds to sustain the Congress party’s five flagship guarantee schemes. By framing Karnataka as a warning, Modi effectively signals to voters in other states that electing a divided national party leads directly to policy paralysis and financial mismanagement.
## Strategic Implications for the Southern Battleground
Prime Minister Modi’s dual-pronged attack is not isolated rhetoric; it is a calculated component of the BJP’s broader “Look South” strategy. With the Northern and Western electoral landscapes already heavily saturated by the saffron party, Southern India—particularly Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, and Telangana—remains the critical frontier for sustained national dominance.
The political dynamics in the South demand specialized regional approaches. In Tamil Nadu, the BJP has aggressively sought to position itself as the primary opposition to the ruling DMK, bypassing the fractured AIADMK. By attacking the Congress-DMK alliance, the BJP aims to fragment the minority and anti-incumbency votes that traditionally consolidate behind the opposition coalition.
### The Southern Political Landscape (As of May 2026)
| State | Ruling Party / Coalition | Key Political Undercurrents |
| :— | :— | :— |
| **Karnataka** | INC (Congress) | Deep factionalism; Siddaramaiah vs. D.K. Shivakumar leadership rotation tension. |
| **Tamil Nadu** | DMK (Alliance with INC) | Incumbency challenges; BJP pushing aggressive grassroots expansion. |
| **Kerala** | LDF (CPI-M led) | Traditional Left vs. UDF (Congress) bipolarity, with BJP making incremental vote-share gains. |
| **Telangana** | INC (Congress) | Congress attempting to consolidate power against a recovering BRS and rising BJP. |
By highlighting Karnataka’s alleged instability, the BJP intends to persuade voters in upcoming local and state elections that regional autonomy and stability are better secured through the BJP’s “double-engine” governance model rather than an unstable coalition of disparate opposition forces. [Source: General Public Electoral Archives]
## Opposition Pushback: Denials and Counter-Accusations
The Congress and DMK have predictably pushed back against the Prime Minister’s assertions, labeling them as desperate diversionary tactics aimed at concealing the central government’s own economic shortcomings.
A senior Congress spokesperson in New Delhi swiftly rebutted the claims on Sunday evening. “The Prime Minister is obsessing over a non-existent power struggle in Karnataka because the BJP has been completely decimated in the South. Our government in Karnataka is successfully delivering on all its welfare guarantees, something the BJP’s hollow economic policies failed to do. As for the DMK, our alliance is ideological and stronger than ever,” the spokesperson stated.
Similarly, DMK leaders in Chennai dismissed the Prime Minister’s sudden sympathy for their historical grievances. Tamil Nadu’s ruling party pointed out that the alliance with the Congress is based on a mutual commitment to preserving federalism, secularism, and state rights—principles they accuse the current BJP-led central government of actively dismantling through the misuse of federal agencies and controversial financial devolution formulas.
## Expert Perspectives on Coalition Vulnerability
Despite the united front projected by the INDIA bloc partners, political observers note that the Prime Minister’s remarks accurately target inherent vulnerabilities within the coalition.
“Modi’s rhetoric is highly engineered,” notes Malini Parthasarathy, a senior researcher of South Asian electoral politics. “When he speaks of Karnataka, he is speaking to the urban middle-class voters who prioritize governance over identity politics. When he speaks of the Congress betraying the DMK, he is speaking to regional pride. It is an attempt to squeeze the Congress from both sides—portraying them as administratively incompetent in states they rule, and untrustworthy partners in states where they are the junior ally.”
The friction in Karnataka, in particular, poses a genuine threat to the Congress’s national messaging. If the party cannot demonstrate cohesive governance in one of the most economically critical states in the country, its ability to project itself as a viable national alternative is severely hampered. The ongoing silence from the Congress high command regarding a definitive resolution to the Karnataka leadership question only provides more ammunition for the BJP’s political artillery.
## Conclusion: The Road Ahead for Southern Politics
As the political calendar advances through 2026, Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Sunday address sets a definitive tone for the upcoming electoral battles across South India. The accusation of Congress betraying the DMK and the spotlight on Karnataka’s internal power struggles highlight the BJP’s strategy of dismantling opposition alliances by weaponizing their internal contradictions and historical baggage.
For the Congress and the DMK, the immediate challenge will be to actively demonstrate administrative unity and alliance cohesion. The Karnataka government must navigate its internal leadership ambitions without causing governance paralysis, while the alliance in Tamil Nadu must reinforce its narrative of secular unity against the BJP’s historical wedge issues. Ultimately, how the southern electorate responds to these competing narratives of stability versus federal preservation will drastically reshape India’s political trajectory in the years to come.
