Tamil Nadu polls: DMK allots two seats to ally KMDK amid friction with Congress

Chennai, March 13 (IANS) The ruling Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) on Friday formalised its seat-sharing pact with the Kongunadu Makkal Desiya Katchi (KMDK), allotting two constituencies to the regional ally for the upcoming Tamil Nadu Assembly elections.

The agreement was signed at the DMK headquarters here at Anna Arivalayam, in the presence of Chief Minister and DMK chief M.K. Stalin and KMDK general secretary E.R. Eswaran.

As per the deal, KMDK candidates will contest both seats under the DMK’s iconic ‘rising sun’ symbol.

After concluding seat-sharing talks and confirming the alliance with the KMDK party, Stalin departed from Anna Arivalayam.

This move comes amid intensifying friction between the DMK and its primary INDIA bloc ally, the Congress.

The Congress party has reportedly demanded a minimum of 35 seats, citing its improved performance in recent local and national polls.

However, the DMK leadership is firm on contesting at least 180 seats on its own to ensure a comfortable majority in the 234-member house.

This has led to a significant dispute, with DMK negotiators indicating that the Congress may have to settle for 25 seats, similar to the 2021 assembly polls formula.

The dispute between the Congress and DMK has intensified ahead of the 2026 Assembly elections, with the Congress explicitly demanding a share in the state cabinet.

Senior Congress leader Manickam Tagore recently emphasised that "power-sharing is the need of the hour," asserting that a coalition government would better reflect the aspirations of the alliance partners.

While the DMK is willing to discuss seat-sharing, it remains firm on its "single-party rule" stance, traditionally rejecting ministerial berths for allies.

This ideological rift has created a high-stakes standoff, as Congress leaders argue that their grassroots support merits a role in governance, not just electoral cooperation.

The DMK maintains that its leadership is the primary face of the Dravidian model and remains unwilling to accommodate allies in the ministry.

In the 2021 Assembly elections, the DMK returned to power after a decade, winning 133 of the 234 seats on its own and securing a clear majority in the Assembly. The Congress, a key ally, had contested 25 seats and won 18 seats.