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Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge on Saturday appointed Congress MP Manickam Tagore as the President of the Tamil Nadu Pradesh Congress Committee (TNPCC) with immediate effect.

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The announcement was made through an official press release issued by the All India Congress Committee (AICC) and signed by General Secretary KC Venugopal. "Hon'ble Congress President has appointed Shri B. Manickam Tagore as the President of Tamil Nadu Pradesh Congress Committee, with immediate effect," the statement read. Acknowledging the work of the outgoing state unit chief, K Selvaperunthagai, the release also added, "The party appreciates the contributions of outgoing PCC President, Shri K. Selvaperunthagai."

MDMK Withdraws from DMK-led Alliance

The organisational rejig comes at a time when Tamil Nadu's political landscape witnessed a major realignment today, with the Marumalarchi Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (MDMK) officially withdrawing from the DMK-led Secular Progressive Alliance (SPA). While the Congress moves to restructure its state unit, the broader alliance that once dominated the state's politics passed a resolution formally ending its nine-year-long association with the DMK-led bloc.

The party said it had joined and continued in the alliance out of ideological commitment to prevent "communal political forces" from gaining ground in Tamil Nadu and to uphold the principles of the Dravidian movement.

"It is an open secret that arrangements were made to install the AIADMK, which had won only 47 Assembly seats, in power by forging an alliance with Hindutva communal forces. As a result, the claims that the Secular Progressive Alliance was an alliance founded on ideology and principles were rendered meaningless," the resolution stated.

"Therefore, this General Council resolves that the Marumalarchi Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (MDMK) shall withdraw from the DMK-led Secular Progressive Alliance," the resolution said.

The General Council further resolved that the party would take an appropriate decision on future electoral alliances at the time of elections.

Recap: 2026 Assembly Elections

Several former SPA allies, including the Congress, Indian Union Muslim League (IUML), Left parties and Viduthalai Chiruthaigal Katchi (VCK), withdrew from the alliance after the Assembly elections and extended support to the TVK, enabling it to secure a majority and form the government.

In the 2026 Tamil Nadu Assembly elections, the results of which were announced on May 4, the TVK won 108 of the 234 seats, emerging as the single largest party. The election recorded a voter turnout of 85.1 per cent. The DMK secured 59 seats, followed by the AIADMK with 47. Other parties that won seats included the Congress (5), Pattali Makkal Katchi (4), CPI (2), CPI(M) (2), IUML (2), VCK (2), DMDK (1), AMMK (1) and the BJP (1).

The outcome marked the end of nearly six decades of dominance by the two principal Dravidian parties in Tamil Nadu politics. (ANI)