DMK-Cong seal TN poll pact: Congress gets 28 seats, one RS berth
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.