DMK maintains 2019 alliance, allocates 9 seats to Congress in Tamil Nadu

Chennai: In a strategic move, the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) in Tamil Nadu has decided to replicate its 2019 election formula by allocating nine seats to the Indian National Congress for the upcoming polls.

The alliance aims to consolidate its electoral strength and present a united front against its political rivals.

The decision was announced by DMK President M.K. Stalin, emphasizing the importance of continuity in their alliance structure. In the 2019 Lok Sabha elections, the DMK-Congress alliance proved successful, securing victories in 38 out of the 39 parliamentary constituencies in Tamil Nadu and Puducherry.

Among the seats allocated to the Congress, prominent leaders like former Union Minister and senior Congress leader K. Selvaperunthagai will play a crucial role in the electoral battleground.

MK Stalin and Tamil Nadu Congress Committee chief K Selvaperunthagai finalised the deal, in the presence of senior Congress leaders KC Venugopal and Ajoy Kumar.

Venugopal asserted the DMK-led combine would win all 40 seats in Tamil Nadu and Puducherry and said the 'bonding' between the Congress and the DMK "is intact." "We will fight together and win together," he said.

Tamil Nadu's ruling party has been following its 2019 model religiously while finalising seat-sharing pacts with most of its allies. On Friday, it allotted two seats - both reserved constituencies - to Viduthalai Chiruthaigal Katchi (VCK), and the Vaiko-led MDMK was given one. VCK will contest from Chidambaram and Villupuram, the two seats it represents in the current Lok Sabha.

The party had sought at least three seats, including a general category one, but settled for two reserved constituencies considering the political situation in Tamil Nadu and keeping in mind the need to ensure the DMK-led alliance wins this time also, VCK leader Thol Thirumavalavan said.

The DMK had allotted a Lok Sabha constituency and one Rajya Sabha seat to MDMK during the 2019 polls, and Vaiko was elected to the Upper House then.

With the announcement on the pact with Congress, the DMK - that leads the multi-party Secular Progressive Alliance (SPA) in Tamil Nadu - has sealed deals with all its allies - CPI (M), CPI, IUML, and KMDK, besides VCK and MDMK.

Earlier in the day, actor Kamal Haasan-led Makkal Needhi Maiam (MNM) joined the ruling DMK-led alliance in Tamil Nadu and extended its support for the upcoming Lok Sabha polls. His party has been given one seat for the 2025 Rajya Sabha polls. This was finalized during a meeting between Haasan and Stalin. According to the understanding arrived at by the two leaders, MNM will do campaign-related work in the 39 Lok Sabha seats in Tamil Nadu and Puducherry.

The DMK-led alliance had registered a dominant victory in the 2019 Lok Sabha polls, winning 38 out of the 39 seats in the state and the lone Puducherry segment. The 39th seat was won by the AIADMK, which was then allied with the BJP and other regional outfits.

The BJP - which has traditionally struggled for traction in the state - continues to be without a major partner in Tamil Nadu after the AIADMK walked out of the National Democratic Alliance in September.