DMK Declares TVK Its "Principal Political Opponent," Likens It to a "Poisonous Snake"

DMK organising secretary R.S. Bharathi told reporters in Chennai on July 16, after paying floral tributes to former Chief Minister K. Kamaraj on his birth anniversary, that the party's political focus has shifted decisively away from the AIADMK.

"During the Assembly election, we were attacking a dead snake. Meanwhile, a poisonous snake entered the field," Bharathi said, portraying the AIADMK as a declining force and the ruling TVK as the more urgent challenge.

He declared that "our principal political opponent is now the TVK" and asked journalists to direct their questions about Tamil Nadu politics to the DMK's dealings with the ruling party rather than the AIADMK.

The remarks mark a shift from the DMK's election-season strategy, when the party trained most of its fire on the AIADMK and largely downplayed TVK's rise; TVK went on to win the 2026 Assembly election and form the government under Chief Minister C. Joseph Vijay.

Bharathi's comments come amid an escalating war of words between the DMK and TVK, with the DMK having filed complaints with the Governor and the DVAC in recent weeks alleging that the ruling party was inducing opposition MLAs to defect.