Seat-sharing negotiations between the DMK and Congress ahead of the 2026 Tamil Nadu Assembly elections have entered a critical phase, with both sides holding firm positions and the Congress high command attempting a reset in talks.
The Congress leadership has moved to localise negotiations by shifting responsibility away from AICC in-charge Girish Chodankar to a senior Tamil Nadu Congress leader. The decision followed consultations involving Sonia Gandhi, party president Mallikarjun Kharge and general secretary KC Venugopal, and is seen as an effort to bring greater local sensitivity and momentum to discussions with the DMK.
The deadlock centres on seat allocation. The DMK continues to stand by its “composite” offer of 25 Assembly seats, the same as in 2021, along with one Rajya Sabha berth. Party strategists view the proposal as balanced in light of commitments to other I.N.D.I.A bloc partners such as the DMDK and IUML.
Congress has rejected the offer as insufficient. The party had initially sought around 39 seats, roughly one per Lok Sabha constituency in Tamil Nadu, before moderating its demand to the 33-41 range. It has also been pushing for clearer signals on power-sharing within the alliance and, in some discussions, an additional Rajya Sabha seat.
The talks have gained urgency due to the Rajya Sabha election timeline. The DMK has reportedly set an informal March 3 deadline linked to the March 5 last date for filing nominations to six Rajya Sabha seats from Tamil Nadu.
If an agreement is not reached in time, the DMK could move ahead with its Rajya Sabha candidates independently, a step that may further strain ties within the I.N.D.I.A bloc and intensify speculation about possible alternative alignments ahead of the April–May 2026 Assembly elections.
Within the DMK camp, the view remains that the party must retain a dominant contest share in the Assembly polls. With multiple allies already in the fold, and more potentially seeking accommodation, expanding Congress’s quota significantly would compress the DMK’s own seat space.
Congress, on the other hand, appears keen to leverage its national status and Lok Sabha footprint in Tamil Nadu to negotiate a larger role in the alliance.
Political observers note that while friction is visible, both parties have historically pushed negotiations to the brink before arriving at a compromise. However, the sharper public signalling this time, combined with the Rajya Sabha clock, has heightened uncertainty.
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