After Congress nudge, DMK announces seat-sharing committee for talks with allies

Chennai: After its principal ally Congress expressed concern over the "delay" in initiating seat-sharing talks for the upcoming Assembly elections in Tamil Nadu, the ruling DMK has announced that a panel will be formed to commence negotiations from February 22.

The party said the committee will be formed soon by the DMK president and Chief Minister M K Stalin.

"The DMK constituency seat-sharing committee, which will be formed soon by the party president, will engage in talks with allies from February 22, once the Assembly session concludes," a release from DMK state headquarters, Anna Arivalayam, said.

The announcement made late on Tuesday came in the wake of the Congress asserting that it began the talks with the DMK, but the latter had not taken any steps from its side to commence the negotiations.

AICC in-charge for Tamil Nadu and Puducherry, Girish Chodankar, on Tuesday expressed concern over the "delay" by the DMK in constituting the seat-sharing committee. Though he had met Stalin and initiated talks on behalf of the national party, the DMK was yet to form its panel to begin discussions, he said, referring to the five-member committee under him that met Stalin in early December 2025.

"We have been waiting since then, hoping that they would immediately start the negotiations and clarify the number of seats and which constituencies we will contest so that we can prepare fully for the elections," Chodankar told reporters in the national capital.

He described it as "saddening" that the DMK has still not constituted the committee or begun talks, adding, "Our leaders are keen and are asking why the alliance talks have not started. But nothing is coming forward from the DMK side." With elections fast approaching, the party required sufficient time to commence poll preparations, he said, adding that he did not know the reason for the delay.

TNCC chief K Selvaperunthagai stressed the importance of early negotiations. "There is no confusion from our side. The DMK has not formed the seat-sharing committee. We told our leaders that finalising the number of seats and identifying constituencies at the last minute would only affect poll preparations," Selvaperunthagai had said.

The DMK further said its cadres were busy with work related to the upcoming assembly elections.

The voters' list revision process has been completed. The party's district secretaries, MPs, MLAs, other office bearers and polling agents have been working hard for the past few weeks in electoral rolls revision exercise, the release said.

"They are working with dedication to reap the fruits of victory, by engaging in numerous activities including membership enrollment, polling booth agents training, etc. Soon, the party's women's wing members will be carrying out a door campaign," it said.

Further, four training sessions for polling station workers including a conference in Tiruchirappalli, continuous poll-related work on the one hand, and the implementation of a series of welfare initiatives through the Dravidian model government on the other, have been going on every day.

A committee has been formed to prepare the election manifesto, and it is touring Tamil Nadu to understand the needs and expectations of the people.

"So far, 75,000 requests and suggestions have been received from the people. The Tamil Nadu government's interim budget will be presented on February 17, and it will be followed with a discussion in the Assembly," the statement said explaining the circumstances for the announcement on the constitution of the seat-sharing panel.