A deadlock over seat sharing between the Congress and the DMK continued in Tamil Nadu, with the Congress formally seeking 45 Assembly seats in the upcoming polls based on its review of the 2021 election performance, sources close to the development told India Today TV.
The demand was conveyed during a key meeting held late Monday between Congress general secretary (organisation) KC Venugopal, senior leader TS Singh Deo and Tamil Nadu Chief Minister and DMK chief MK Stalin.
Despite the discussions, sources said, the seat-sharing formula remained unresolved.
In the 2021 Assembly polls, the Congress had contested 25 seats. Party leaders are not arguing that the new demand is rooted in data from that election.
According to Congress’s internal assessment, the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam contested 173 constituencies in 2021, winning 133 and losing 40, largely to the All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK) and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).
Party insiders claimed the Congress has identified at least 20 of those lost seats as potentially winnable if allocated to it, citing stronger grassroots presence and better consolidation in direct contests.
They said the 45-seat ask is intended to boost the strike rate, reinforce the alliance, and create a more balanced arrangement ahead of the 2026 Assembly polls.
Speaking to reporters after the meeting, Venugopal described the interaction with the DMK as cordial and said the party was awaiting a response.
Sources indicated that further negotiations are underway between Tamil Nadu Congress in-charge Girish Chodankar and DMK MP Kanimozhi Karunanidhi to work out mutually acceptable terms.
The Stalin-Venugopal meeting followed a recent round of discussions in Delhi between Kanimozhi and Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on seat sharing.
The negotiations are unfolding amid pressure from a section of the state Congress leadership seeking a share in power. Stalin has publicly ruled out such an arrangement, saying it would not suit Tamil Nadu’s political framework.
Meanwhile, the DMK has already begun formal seat-sharing talks with allies. On Sunday, it held discussions with long-time partner Indian Union Muslim League, which sought five seats but was offered two, with the DMK citing the need to accommodate multiple partners.
The DMK heads the Secular Progressive Alliance (SPA) in Tamil Nadu, whose constituents include the Congress, the DMDK, Left parties and the Viduthalai Chiruthaigal Katchi.
The 234-member Tamil Nadu Assembly is slated to face elections in the first half of 2026, with the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam government led by MK Stalin preparing for a direct contest against the BJP-AIADMK alliance. The political landscape could become more competitive with actor-politician Vijay entering the fray through his party, Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam, potentially turning the election into a three-cornered fight.
