The deadlock over seat-sharing negotiations between Congress and the DMK in Tamil Nadu has continued, with the Congress formally requesting 45 Assembly seats for the 2026 polls. This demand, conveyed during a meeting between Congress general secretary KC Venugopal, senior leader TS Singh Deo, and Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin, is based on an internal review of the Congress’s performance in the 2021 Assembly elections. According to Congress, the request stems from a strategic analysis of the 2021 election results, where DMK contested 173 constituencies, winning 133 and losing 40, with many of the lost seats going to the AIADMK and BJP. Congress has identified at least 20 of these lost seats as winnable with a stronger grassroots presence.
The 45-seat demand is intended to strengthen the alliance, increase Congress’s strike rate, and create a more balanced arrangement ahead of the 2026 elections. However, despite the cordial discussions, sources have stated that the seat-sharing formula remains unresolved. Further negotiations are reportedly taking place between Tamil Nadu Congress in-charge Girish Chodankar and DMK MP Kanimozhi Karunanidhi to finalize terms.
The Congress's push for a larger share of seats is driven by pressure from the state leadership, which seeks a greater role in power-sharing, a demand that Stalin has publicly rejected, stating it is not suitable for Tamil Nadu’s political framework. Meanwhile, the DMK has already begun formal talks with other allies, such as the Indian Union Muslim League (IUML), which is seeking five seats but has been offered two.
The negotiations are taking place under the framework of the Secular Progressive Alliance (SPA), a coalition led by the DMK that includes Congress, the DMDK, Left parties, and the Viduthalai Chiruthaigal Katchi. The Tamil Nadu Assembly election, scheduled for the first half of 2026, is expected to be a highly competitive contest, with the DMK aiming for a direct face-off against the BJP-AIADMK alliance. The landscape could become even more complex with actor Vijay entering the political fray through his Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam party, potentially creating a three-cornered battle for power.
