Chennai — Bringing an end to weeks of negotiations, the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) and the Indian National Congress have finalised their seat-sharing agreement for the 2026 Tamil Nadu Assembly elections, with the Congress set to contest 28 constituencies as part of the ruling alliance. The agreement also includes an assurance that the Congress will receive one Rajya Sabha seat from Tamil Nadu.
The pact was formally signed at Anna Arivalayam, the DMK headquarters in Chennai, by DMK president and Chief Minister M.K. Stalin and Tamil Nadu Congress Committee (TNCC) president K. Selvaperunthagai. Senior leaders from both parties, including AICC representatives involved in the negotiations, were present when the agreement was announced.
The understanding ends a brief phase of uncertainty within the alliance, as the Congress had initially sought a significantly larger share of seats during the talks. After several rounds of discussions and intervention from senior leaders, both parties eventually reached a compromise that preserved the long-standing electoral partnexrship between them.
Under the final arrangement, the Congress will contest 28 of the 234 Assembly constituencies, while the DMK will contest the majority of seats and allocate the remaining constituencies to other partners in the broader alliance. The agreement also guarantees the Congress a Rajya Sabha berth, with the party leadership expected to announce its nominee at a later stage.
This will mark the fourth consecutive election in which the DMK and Congress have contested together in Tamil Nadu, continuing a partnership that has been a central pillar of the State’s opposition to the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance at the national level.
Political observers say the agreement is crucial for maintaining coalition cohesion ahead of what is expected to be a highly competitive election season in the State. With the seat-sharing issue now resolved, both parties are expected to shift their focus to finalising candidates and launching coordinated campaign strategies across Tamil Nadu.
The DMK-led alliance is expected to announce seat allocations for its other partners in the coming days as preparations intensify for the Assembly election.
