Amid murmurs of alliance with Vijay's TVK, AICC forms panel to discuss seat-sharing with DMK
All India Congress Committee president Mallikarjuna Kharge has constituted the panel under the leadership of Tamil Nadu in-charge Girish Chodankar to initiate seat-sharing and alliance negotiations.
amil Nadu Congress Committee president K Selvaperunthagai arrives to attend the Tamil Nadu Assembly session at Fort St. George in Chennai (PTI)
CHENNAI: In an apparent bid to put an end to speculations about the Congress holding discreet talks with actor Vijay's TVK to switch alliance ahead of the 2026 polls, the All India Congress Committee (AICC) named a five-member seat sharing coordination committee on Saturday to begin formal discussions with DMK, the leader of the Secular Progressive Alliance (SPA) in the State.
AICC president Mallikarjun Kharge has constituted the panel under the leadership of the party's Tamil Nadu in-charge Girish Chodankar. The committee includes Tamil Nadu Congress Committee (TNCC) president K Selvaperunthagai, AICC secretaries Suraj MN Hegde and Nivedith Alva, and Congress Legislature Party leader S Rajeshkumar.
The announcement is widely seen as the Congress’s first move to clarify that it is not moving away from the DMK-led alliance in the State. This announcement is seen as the next step to clarifications issued by party leaders denying talks about back-channel engagement with Vijay, who had announced that his party will contest the 2026 Assembly elections, allying with parties under his leadership as Chief Minister candidate.
Former Union Home Minister and senior Congress leader P Chidambaram welcomed the decision in a post on X. He said the formation of the committee to engage with the DMK ahead of the polls reaffirmed the unity of the INDIA bloc in the State. He added that he hoped the announcement would put an end to recurring speculative reports about the Congress’s alliance position in Tamil Nadu.
The Congress, a key constituent of the Secular Progressive Alliance, is expected to begin rounds of discussions with alliance partners in the coming weeks. Political observers note that Vijay’s presence on the political horizon is set to influence seat-sharing equations in the State.
Speculation over a possible Congress-TVK tie-up has gained traction in recent times, prompting TNCC president Selvaperunthagai to clarify that the party remains firmly committed to the DMK-led alliance in Tamil Nadu.