DMK to kick-start seat-sharing negotiations; to meet Congress leaders on November 3

Chennai: Tamil Nadu’s ruling Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) will on Wednesday launch seat-sharing negotiations with alliance partners for the 2026 assembly polls by holding talks with a five-member committee from the Congress.

The committee consisting of Girish Raya Chodankar, AICC in-charge for Tamil Nadu and Puducherry, and state unit chief K Selvaperunthagai, Congress floor leader in Assembly Rajesh Kumar, Nivedith Alva, and Suraj Hegde will meet DMK President and Chief Minister M K Stalin and senior leaders of the DMK and convey the Congress High Command’s demand on the number of seats.

A source in the Congress told DH that Chodankar is likely to bring a letter from the High Command in a “sealed cover” to be handed over to Stalin during the Wednesday morning meeting.

The source said the Congress will seek an increase from the 25 seats that the party was allotted in the 2021 assembly elections during negotiations besides asking for winnable constituencies.

“Party leaders and cadres want the Congress to contest in about 40 seats like in 2016 polls and we will present our case before the DMK by explaining what we bring to the table. But the final decision will be taken by Stalin and Rahul Gandhi-Mallikarjuna Kharge combo,” the source added.

The first meeting is expected to be very cordial given the relationship between the DMK and Congress and the next round of talks will be held between the Congress’ panel and a committee constituted by the DMK to hold talks with alliance partners, the source added.

Congress constituted the five-member committee on November 22 after the DMK leadership sought clarity from the High Command on the alliance between the two parties on the heels of intense speculation that Congress cadres want an alliance with Tamilaga Vetri Kazhagam (TVK) of actor Vijay.

The party is also split between two opinions – the one being that the Congress should accept the number of seats offered by the DMK and try to win the maximum while the second being that the party should seek at least 40 seats.

Not just the Congress, almost all allies, including the Viduthalai Chiruthaigal Katchi (VCK), and left parties, are gearing up to seek an increased share from the DMK in the 2026 polls. The party leaders told DH that they accepted “less number of seats” in 2021 since the DMK told them that the party has to contest at least 170 seats to ensure that it forms a stable government.

“We can’t contest the same six seats this time as well. Our cadres won’t accept. We will demand at least ten seats from the DMK,” a VCK leader told DH. Leaders from the CPI and CPI(M) said they will seek an increase from the six seats each they contested in 2021 while the MDMK wants to contest in its own symbol rather than in the DMK’s Rising Sun symbol.

A DMK leader said the party is likely to propose continuance of the 2021 seat-sharing formula for the 2026 elections.

“In the 2024 polls, we allotted the same number of Lok Sabha seats we allotted to alliance partners in 2019. And we think the 2021 formula will be best to go ahead. But there will be changes for a few parties if our president wishes to give them a couple of more seats,” the leader added.