The DMK, led by Chief Minister MK Stalin, has solidified its electoral strategy in Tamil Nadu by finalizing a seat-sharing arrangement with its long-standing ally, the Congress party. Under this pact, the DMK has allocated nine seats to the Congress in Tamil Nadu and one in Puducherry, replicating the successful formula from the 2019 elections which resulted in a resounding victory for the alliance.
Notably, in the 2019 elections, the Congress won nine out of the ten seats it contested. With Tamil Nadu comprising 39 Lok Sabha seats, this partnership underscores the strategic consolidation of opposition forces in the region.
The agreement was formalized by MK Stalin and K Selvaperunthagai, the President of the Tamil Nadu Congress Committee, in the presence of senior Congress leaders KC Venugopal and Ajoy Kumar.
Venugopal expressed confidence in the coalition’s prospects, affirming their shared commitment to securing victory in all 40 seats across Tamil Nadu and Puducherry. He emphasized the enduring strength of the bond between the Congress and the DMK, asserting their collective determination to succeed.
Consistently adhering to its successful 2019 electoral blueprint, the DMK has extended similar seat-sharing arrangements to its other allies. Recently, it allocated two reserved constituencies to the Viduthalai Chiruthaigal Katchi (VCK) and one seat to the MDMK led by Vaiko. Despite VCK’s initial request for three seats, including one in the general category, it settled for two reserved constituencies considering the prevailing political landscape in Tamil Nadu and the broader national context, with the primary objective of ensuring the victory of the DMK-led alliance.
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The alliance’s roster is now complete with the inclusion of parties like the CPI(M), CPI, IUML, and KMDK, alongside VCK and MDMK, under the banner of the Secular Progressive Alliance (SPA).
Additionally, actor Kamal Haasan’s Makkal Needhi Maiam (MNM) recently joined the DMK-led alliance, pledging its support for the upcoming Lok Sabha polls. As per the agreement reached between Haasan and Stalin, MNM will actively participate in campaign-related activities across all 39 Lok Sabha seats in Tamil Nadu and Puducherry.
Furthermore, MNM has been allocated one seat for the 2025 Rajya Sabha polls, solidifying its partnership with the DMK-led coalition.
In the backdrop of the alliance’s dominant performance in the 2019 Lok Sabha elections, securing 38 out of 39 seats in Tamil Nadu and the sole seat in Puducherry, this cohesive electoral strategy underscores the opposition’s concerted efforts to consolidate power in the region.
The BJP, despite its historical struggles in Tamil Nadu, remains without a significant partner after the AIADMK’s exit from the National Democratic Alliance in September.