DMK sets March 3 deadline for Congress on seat-sharing talks

DMK sets March 3 deadline for Congress to finalize seat-sharing for upcoming elections, urging swift negotiations ahead of nominations.

The ruling DMK leadership is unlikely to wait beyond March 3 for the Congress high command to make up its mind on seat-sharing for the upcoming Assembly elections. The party has set the deadline as it has to finalise before March 5, the nominees for the biennial elections to the Rajya Sabha slated for March 16.

“The last date for filing of nominations for the Rajya Sabha is March 5. If the Congress does not come forward for talks, we will go ahead and announce our candidates,” a senior DMK leader told The Hindu on Monday (March 2, 2026). The DMK, with the support of its allies, is in a position to send four candidates to the Upper House, while the AIADMK-led alliance can successfully elect two candidates.

Apart from a Rajya Sabha seat, the DMK has offered the Congress 25 Assembly seats, the same number it had given it five years ago. However, the Congress has been insisting on upwards of 35 Assembly seats (it initially pitched for 39 – one for each Lok Sabha constituency in Tamil Nadu) and two Rajya Sabha seats.

Girish Chodankar, the AICC in-charge for Tamil Nadu, who heads the Congress seat-sharing committee, had on Sunday (March 1) categorically said the DMK’s offer was “not acceptable” to the party.

Though Mr. Chodankar had described the atmosphere during the first round of talks as “positive”, he hoped the Congress’ wish list would be accepted by the DMK. “Only then can we continue our talks,” he had said.

However, the DMK leadership is of the view there was no question of allotting more than 25 Assembly seats to the Congress. What has particularly irked the DMK leadership is the Congress’ perceived favourable stance towards actor Vijay’s Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK).