CHENNAI: After prolonged uncertainty, the ruling Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) and the Congress signed a seat-sharing agreement on Wednesday under which the grand old party was allotted 28 seats for the 2026 Tamil Nadu Assembly elections and one Rajya Sabha seat in the upcoming biennial poll to the Upper House.
The agreement was signed by Chief Minister and DMK president MK Stalin and Tamil Nadu Congress Committee president K Selvaperunthagai, who was accompanied by AICC in-charge Girish Chodankar, at the DMK headquarters here.
Addressing the media after signing the pact, Selvaperunthagai, who appeared relieved and cheerful, dismissed questions about the delay in finalising the agreement. He said there was no delay.
“It is normal for any party to have several rounds of talks before sealing the number of seats. That is what Congress has done. We are happy and satisfied,” Selvaperunthagai said.
Asked about seat-sharing in Puducherry, which is also heading for Assembly elections, Chodankar said talks with the DMK had begun for the Union Territory as well. He declined to comment on the party’s earlier demand for a share in power in Tamil Nadu, saying the TNCC president had already addressed the issue.
Seat-sharing talks between the DMK and Congress reached a deadlock last weekend after the DMK rejected Congress’s demand for at least 34 seats and instead offered 25 — the same number it contested in 2021 — along with one Rajya Sabha seat.
With the alliance nearing a breaking point, according to senior DMK leaders, DMK deputy general secretary and parliamentary party leader Kanimozhi Karunanidhi intervened. She spoke to Congress MP Karti Chidambaram and brought in former finance minister and senior Congress leader P. Chidambaram to resume negotiations.
In an effort to salvage the alliance, Chidambaram and Selvaperunthagai met Stalin at his residence in the presence of Kanimozhi. During the talks, the DMK expressed its willingness to increase the number of seats, which was later conveyed to the Congress high command.
“It was Kanimozhi who served as a point of contact to make the deal getting finalized in a smooth manner Chidambaram who explained the ground realities to the AICC leadership. They saved the alliance,” a DMK leader told TNIE.
In Tamil Nadu’s electoral politics, this will be the first time an alliance contests its fourth election — two Lok Sabha and two Assembly polls — without any partner exiting, while also expanding its fold.