DMK and Congress had an acrimonious split after Tamil Nadu election results

NEW DELHI: Rahul Gandhi on Friday thanked MK Stalin and Kanimozhi for their birthday wishes, with their social media exchange coming days after Congress and the DMK ended their alliance following the Tamil Nadu assembly election results.Also Read | DMK attacks Rahul Gandhi for ‘dishonesty,’ ‘immaturity’ that harmed INDIA blocThe Congress MP, who turned 56, said they would continue to “fight together for democracy” until victory is achieved.“Thank you, Thiru MK Stalin, for your warm wishes. Our shared resolve to defend the idea of India, our Constitution, and federalism will continue to guide us — this is the fight for the very soul of our democracy, and we will wage it together, until we win,” Rahul Gandhi posted on X in response to Stalin’s birthday message.“Thank you, Kanimozhi ji, for your thoughtful wishes,” he wrote in response to Kanimozhi, DMK MP and Stalin’s sister.However, unlike last year, Stalin’s message this time was formal and did not include a personal touch. On Rahul Gandhi’s 55th birthday, the then Tamil Nadu chief minister had referred to him as “my brother-in-ideals.”“Warm birthday wishes to my brother-in-ideals, @RahulGandhi – bound not by blood, but by thought, vision, and purpose. May you continue to stand firm and lead with courage. In our march towards a brighter India, victory shall be ours,” the DMK chief had posted.

Congress-DMK divorce

The two parties had an acrimonious split after the Congress extended support to actor-politician Vijay, whose two-year-old Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK) emerged as the single-largest party in Tamil Nadu but fell short of a majority.The backing of Congress’s five legislators played a key role in helping TVK form the government. In return, Congress secured two ministerial berths in the Vijay-led government, along with a Rajya Sabha seat.Rahul Gandhi also attended Vijay’s swearing-in ceremony in Chennai.DMK accused Congress of betrayal and boycotted the Congress-led INDIA bloc meeting in Delhi on June 8. It was the first meeting of the national opposition alliance since the 2024 Lok Sabha elections.