CHENNAI: The first round of seat-sharing negotiations between the DMK and the Congress ended without a definitive breakthrough on Saturday. The ruling DMK offered its principal ally 22 Assembly seats and one Rajya Sabha seat, lower than the 25 seats allotted in the 2021 elections.
A five-member Congress delegation, led by AICC Tamil Nadu in-charge Girish Chodankar and TNCC president K Selvaperunthagai, met with the DMK committee headed by party treasurer TR Baalu at Anna Arivalayam.
Sources indicate that Congress initially requested 39 Assembly seats and two Rajya Sabha berths. However, Baalu reportedly conveyed that the DMK cannot meet these demands due to the necessity of accommodating an increased number of allies within the coalition.
The DMK has set a March 3 deadline for the Congress to finalise the deal, citing the March 5 closing date for Rajya Sabha nominations. Despite the gap in numbers, Selvaperunthagai described the talks as "cordial and constructive," noting that Chief Minister MK Stalin has personally assured the Congress of one Rajya Sabha seat.
Responding to reports that the Congress was also holding discussions with actor Vijay’s TVK, Selvaperunthagai denied the speculation and reiterated that Congress remains committed to the DMK alliance.
Chodankar said the discussions had proceeded positively and that the next round of talks would be held in two or three days. He declined to comment on questions related to power-sharing arrangements.
On Saturday evening, the DMK signed seat-sharing agreements with the Indian Union Muslim League and the Manithaneya Makkal Katchi, allocating two Assembly seats each. The IUML, which contested three seats in 2021, has been asked to reduce one seat to accommodate new allies.