They had the most acrimonious divorce this year after a tumultuous partnership, but the Congress will support the DMK's M Kanimozhi for a second term in the Rajya Sabha.
The ruling party has announced that its five MLAs in Tamil Nadu will help ensure the re-election of Ms Kanimozhi, who is the daughter of DMK chief M Karunanidhi.
The Congress is likely to expect quid pro quo support when it attempts to push in Parliament its flagship Food Security Bill, which it believes will be a game changer as it attempts to get a third consecutive term at the Centre in the general elections, due next year.
Ms Kanimozhi's Rajya Sabha term expires next month, when six Upper House seats fall vacant in Tamil Nadu.
Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa's AIADMK and the Left together have enough numbers to win five seats. On the sixth, Ms Kanimozhi will have to fend off the challenge of actor Vijayakanth's DMDK, which has only 22 MLAs, not counting the rebels who have now aligned with the AIADMK.
With the Congress' support, the DMK's tally goes up to 32, including the support of the Muslim Munnetra Kazhagam and Puthiya Tamizhagam.
Although 34 MLAs are required to win a Rajya Sabha seat, the sixth seat will go to the candidate who gets the highest number of votes. With the Congress behind her, the 45-year-old Ms Kanimozhi is the favourite for that seat.
In March, the DMK quit the Congress-led Central government, accusing it of not taking a firm enough stand at the UN against Sri Lanka over the alleged war crimes by its armed forces. But the DMK had been unhappy for months before it finally quit, not least because its leaders like A Raja and Ms Kanimozhi had to go to jail in the 2G spectrum scam
Ms Kanimozhi is out on bail.
The ruling party has announced that its five MLAs in Tamil Nadu will help ensure the re-election of Ms Kanimozhi, who is the daughter of DMK chief M Karunanidhi.
The Congress is likely to expect quid pro quo support when it attempts to push in Parliament its flagship Food Security Bill, which it believes will be a game changer as it attempts to get a third consecutive term at the Centre in the general elections, due next year.
Ms Kanimozhi's Rajya Sabha term expires next month, when six Upper House seats fall vacant in Tamil Nadu.
Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa's AIADMK and the Left together have enough numbers to win five seats. On the sixth, Ms Kanimozhi will have to fend off the challenge of actor Vijayakanth's DMDK, which has only 22 MLAs, not counting the rebels who have now aligned with the AIADMK.
With the Congress' support, the DMK's tally goes up to 32, including the support of the Muslim Munnetra Kazhagam and Puthiya Tamizhagam.
Although 34 MLAs are required to win a Rajya Sabha seat, the sixth seat will go to the candidate who gets the highest number of votes. With the Congress behind her, the 45-year-old Ms Kanimozhi is the favourite for that seat.
In March, the DMK quit the Congress-led Central government, accusing it of not taking a firm enough stand at the UN against Sri Lanka over the alleged war crimes by its armed forces. But the DMK had been unhappy for months before it finally quit, not least because its leaders like A Raja and Ms Kanimozhi had to go to jail in the 2G spectrum scam
Ms Kanimozhi is out on bail.
