NEW DELHI: The Congress, a key ally of the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) in Tamil Nadu, has formally sought 45 Assembly seats for the 2026 elections after reviewing its performance in 2021. The party has also requested one Rajya Sabha seat as part of the seat-sharing discussions.
In the 2021 Assembly elections, Congress contested 25 seats and secured victory in 18 of them.
Moreover, during the 2021 polls, the DMK contested 173 constituencies, winning 133 and losing 40 — most of those defeats coming at the hands of the All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK) and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).
According to Congress sources, the party believes at least 20 of the 40 seats lost by the DMK could be winnable if allocated to it, citing its stronger grassroots presence and improved prospects in direct contests in certain constituencies.
Party insiders say the demand for 45 seats is aimed at enhancing the alliance’s overall winnability, ensuring a more equitable seat-sharing arrangement, and strengthening the coalition ahead of the 2026 Tamil Nadu Assembly elections.
The demand was conveyed during a meeting between Congress general secretary K C Venugopal and former Chhattisgarh Deputy Chief Minister T S Singh Deo with Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M K Stalin at his residence on Sunday night. The 45-minute discussion reportedly focused on securing a larger seat allocation for Congress compared to 2021.
"While Venugopal requested an increase in the number of seats, DMK was stubborn in maintaining the same 25 seats that were allocated in the 2021 Assembly election. Stalin has conveyed to Venugopal that they cannot increase the number as per Congress' demands, as they have to accommodate new allies," a source told TNIE. Any increase in seats for the Congress is likely to be nominal at best, limited to one or two seats.