“Brother in ideals” to “Leader of Opposition”.
A year is a long time in politics. A lot has changed between June 19, 2025, and June 19, 2026.
When the then Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin wished Rahul Gandhi on his last birthday, he called him “my brother in ideals, bound not by blood, but by thought, vision, and purpose.” He continued: “May you continue to stand firm and lead with courage. In our march towards a brighter India, victory shall be ours.”
Cut to 2026 and contrast it with Stalin’s birthday wish to Rahul Gandhi on Friday: “Birthday greetings to Hon’ble Leader of Opposition Thiru. Rahul Gandhi. Wishing you good health and happiness.”
The difference between the two posts tells the story of Congress-DMK relations. From warm to cold, from friendly to formal, from personal to strictly professional.
MK Stalin’s birthday wishes to Rahul Gandhi in 2025 and now
Rahul Gandhi, in his reply, seemed to be making an overture to the DMK and sending a reconciliatory message. Thanking Stalin for the wishes, he wrote: “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.”
The reply is seen as Rahul Gandhi’s olive branch to the estranged ally after Congress decided to go with the TVK after the Tamil Nadu elections.
Angry with the Congress’s move, the DMK has snapped ties with the party and has also distanced itself from the INDIA alliance. The party did not attend the INDIA bloc meet earlier this month and has also written to the Lok Sabha Speaker for a new seating arrangement in the House, as it doesn’t want to sit with Congress MPs anymore.
Tamil Nadu Chief Minister and Congress’s new ally Joseph Vijay too wished Rahul Gandhi on his birthday, calling him his “brother” – remember Stalin’s 2025 wish.
“You, who continue to raise your voice for the progress of our great nation India, for safeguarding democratic values, and for the welfare of people from all sections of society, I wish you good health, a long life, success in all your endeavors, and the ability to serve with distinction in public life,” Vijay’s post read.
Replying to Vijay, Rahul Gandhi posted: “We remain united in our commitment to the Constitution and to strengthening our democracy – and together, we will keep working for the welfare, dignity, and aspirations of the people of Tamil Nadu.”
While Stalin’s and Vijay’s posts show the changed dynamic in their ties with the Congress, Rahul Gandhi’s replies also tell a story.
To Vijay, he promised to keep working for Tamil Nadu, while to Stalin his message is national – “shared resolve to defend the idea of India.”
Rahul Gandhi’s replies to wishes from Vijay and Stalin
It will be interesting to see if the DMK will warm up to Rahul Gandhi’s “unity” call at the national level, while the Congress continues to ally with the TVK in Tamil Nadu. The DMK has 22 MPs in the Lok Sabha and is a key bloc in the Opposition ranks. Congress and the INDIA bloc will find it hard to stop key BJP legislation without the DMK’s support, especially after the rebellions in the Trinamool and UBT Sena ranks.