The Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK)-led alliance is set to officially appoint a *lnegotiation team headed by senior leader T.R. Balu to conduct seat-sharing talks with partner parties ahead of the 2026 Tamil Nadu Assembly elections, party sources said on Monday.
An official announcement on the formation of the DMK alliance negotiation panel is expected to be made shortly.
Political parties across Tamil Nadu are preparing for the upcoming polls, with both the ruling DMK-led alliance and the All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK)-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA) actively engaging in discussions to finalise electoral strategies. The DMK’s nomination of a structured negotiation team signals the start of formal talks with its allies over seat distribution and campaign coordination.
The discussions will cover seat-sharing arrangements with key alliance parties, including the Indian National Congress, Viduthalai Chiruthaigal Katchi (VCK), and Communist parties, among others. Party leaders have emphasised the urgency of concluding these talks soon so that campaigning can begin in full swing ahead of the elections, expected to be held by April–May 2026.
The alliance partners plan to finalise the seat share by the end of this month, after which intensive campaigning and ground mobilisation efforts will commence. The move comes as political competition in the state intensifies, with all parties seeking to secure a majority in the 234-member Tamil Nadu Legislative Assembly.