The Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) has formally proposed to allocate 25 Assembly seats, one Rajya Sabha seat, and the Chief Minister’s post in Puducherry to the Indian National Congress as part of seat‑sharing discussions ahead of the upcoming Tamil Nadu Assembly elections, party sources said.
The offer was conveyed by DMK deputy general secretary K. Kanimozhi during a meeting with Congress leaders Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi in Delhi on Wednesday night.
Kanimozhi reportedly informed the Congress leadership that if the proposal is accepted, the DMK’s seat‑sharing committee will formally begin negotiations with its counterpart in the Congress. The offer matches the number of seats the Congress contested in the 2021 Assembly polls, when it ran in 25 constituencies and won 18.
The meeting comes amid weeks of tense exchanges between the two long‑standing allies over alliance terms. Relations frayed after some Congress leaders publicly demanded a coalition government and contested certain traditionally DMK seats, including Madurai North, a suggestion that drew sharp rebukes from DMK leaders who questioned the Congress’s organisational strength.
In response to the discord, the DMK high command issued a gag order to its functionaries, urging restraint on public comments related to alliance matters, while the Congress pressed for progress on talks. Prior to Kanimozhi’s Delhi visit, All India Congress Committee (AICC) in‑charge for Tamil Nadu and Puducherry Girish Chodankar said the Congress had been awaiting a response from the DMK for over two months.
Despite the offer, the larger issue of power sharing remains sensitive. While the DMK has reaffirmed its commitment to contesting the polls in alliance with the Congress, it has reportedly ruled out cabinet posts for Congress leaders in the Tamil Nadu government—emphasising that seat allocations will be finalised through formal discussions between designated committees from both parties.
Congress leaders have also signalled their intent to accelerate negotiations. A Congress seat‑sharing committee is expected to visit Chennai in the first week of February to begin formal talks with the DMK ahead of the elections likely slated for April–May 2026.