The Secular Progressive Alliance’s coalition picture came into sharper focus on Tuesday, March 24, as Chief Minister and DMK president M.K. Stalin and Viduthalai Chiruthaigal Katchi (VCK) chief Thol. Thirumavalavan formalised their seat-sharing agreement at Anna Arivalayam in Chennai. Under the pact, VCK will contest eight seats in the Tamil Nadu assembly elections scheduled for April 23 six in dedicated constituencies and two in shared constituencies where the party will put up candidates on behalf of the alliance.
The formal alliance agreement, signed by both leaders at the party headquarters, carries language that underlines the ideological common ground the DMK and VCK have publicly emphasised: “In the upcoming 2026 Tamil Nadu Legislative Assembly general elections, VCK, as part of the Secular Progressive Alliance, has decided to contest in a total of eight (8) assembly constituencies in Tamil Nadu six in independent constituencies and two in general constituencies.”
VCK, the Dalit rights party founded and led by Thirumavalavan, has been a consistent partner of the DMK and its wider coalition since 2019. The party has historically contested a smaller number of seats but contributes meaningfully to the alliance’s vote consolidation in Dalit-dominated constituencies, particularly in regions of northern Tamil Nadu, including parts of Cuddalore, Villupuram, and Chengalpattu.
Thirumavalavan had previously indicated that VCK was seeking double-digit seats from the alliance, and had even raised the possibility of the party also demanding a Rajya Sabha berth in negotiations. The final settlement of eight constituencies while fewer than the party’s aspiration is a reflection of the complex seat-negotiation dynamics within the SPA, where Congress, CPI, and other partners also have competing claims.
Speaking after the signing, Thirumavalavan expressed satisfaction with the agreement and reaffirmed VCK’s commitment to the alliance’s shared goals. He noted that in this election, the fight was not merely for seats, but for the preservation of the values of social justice, secularism, and Tamil Nadu’s self-governance ideals that both the DMK and VCK hold in common.
The VCK deal adds another piece to the SPA’s evolving coalition. As it stands, the confirmed seat-sharing breakdown within the Secular Progressive Alliance is: Congress 28 seats, CPI 5 seats, VCK 8 seats, MDMK 4 seats, with talks still ongoing with CPM and DMDK. The Congress has reportedly put forward a list of 39 preferred constituencies a demand the DMK is negotiating down while the CPM is pressing for the Singanallur constituency in Coimbatore.
With the Model Code of Conduct in force and the election campaign heating up across all 234 constituencies, both coalitions are now focused on translating their alliance arithmetic into ground-level voter mobilisation before April 23.
