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DMK Finalizes 2026 TN Seat Share: Stalin Leads 164 Seats, Congress Gets 28

The ruling DMK has finalized its seat-sharing arrangement for the 2026 Tamil Nadu Assembly elections, reserving 164 seats for itself and distributing 70 among alliance partners including Congress. Chief Minister MK Stalin will contest from Kolathur, while Deputy CM Udhayanidhi Stalin is fielded from Chepauk-Thiruvallikeni. The party's candidate list highlights a focus on educated professionals, featuring numerous degree holders, advocates, and doctors. The state will vote in a single phase on April 23, with results expected on May 4.

Key Points: DMK Seat-Sharing for 2026 Tamil Nadu Elections Finalized

  • DMK to contest 164 of 234 seats
  • Congress allotted 28 seats in alliance
  • MK Stalin to contest from Kolathur
  • Polls on April 23, results May 4
3 min read

DMK finalises seat-sharing and candidate list for 2026 Tamil Nadu Assembly Elections

DMK allocates 70 seats to allies, fields CM MK Stalin from Kolathur. Congress gets 28 seats. Polls on April 23, counting May 4.

"We may have come last, but we are the latest. - MK Stalin"

Chennai, March 28

The ruling Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam on Saturday completed its seat-sharing process with alliance partners for the upcoming Tamil Nadu Assembly elections. Tamil Nadu Chief Minister and DMK President MK Stalin, who leads the Secular Progressive Alliance, unveiled the seat-sharing arrangement, finalising the constituencies for Congress, Left parties, Viduthalai Chiruthaigal Katchi, and the Marumalarchi Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam, among others.

The DMK will contest 164 out of the 234 constituencies in the state, while 70 seats have been allocated to its alliance partners. These partners include the Congress Party with 28 seats, the Communist Party of India (CPI) with 5 seats, the Communist Party of India (Marxist) (CPI(M)) with 5 seats, VCK with 8 seats, MDMK with 4 seats. Other smaller parties in the alliance include the Desiya Murpokku Dravida Kazhagam (DMDK) with 10 seats, Indian Union Muslim League (IUML) with 2 seats, and several other regional parties.

Notably, the DMK has reserved key constituencies such as Kanyakumari, Radhapuram, Palayamkottai, and Aruppukottai for its candidates. The party has fielded CM MK Stalin as the candidate for the Kolathur constituency and announced Deputy Chief Minister Udhayanidhi Stalin from Chepauk-Thiruvallikeni. Other prominent DMK candidates include Mahesh for Kanyakumari, Appavu for Radhapuram, Vahab for Palayamkottai, Kalaikathiravan for Tenkasi, and KKSSR Ramachandran for Aruppukottai.

In addition, O Panneerselvam will contest from Bodinayakkanur, and R.S. Kirthiga Devi has been fielded from Tambaram. Further, Velu has been named as the candidate for Mylapore, while Ma. Subramanian will contest from Saidapet. The list also includes figures such as RD Sekar for Perumbur, Nazar for Avadi, and Subair Khan for Royapuram.

The seat-sharing arrangement would ensure a strong representation across all regions, with a broad spectrum of professionals, including 125 degree holders, 18 women candidates, 15 doctors, and 29 advocates, underlining the party's focus on education and professional qualifications for its representatives.

Stalin responded to opposition criticism about the late release of the DMK's candidate list, saying, "We may have come last, but we are the latest."

After the release of the DMK candidates' list, MK Stalin and Udhayanidhi Stalin paid tribute at the Karunanidhi Memorial in Chennai Marina and placed the list of candidates.

Tamil Nadu will go to the polls in a single phase on April 23, with counting scheduled for May 4. The main electoral contest is expected between the DMK-led Secular Progressive Alliance (SPA), which includes Congress, DMDK, and the VCK, and the National Democratic Alliance (NDA), led by AIADMK with the BJP and Pattali Makkal Katchi (PMK) as allies. Actor-turned-politician Vijay-led TVK is attempting to turn the state elections into a three-way contest.

- ANI

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Reader Comments

P
Priya S
Only 18 women candidates out of 164 DMK seats? That's just about 11%. For a party that talks about social justice, this is disappointing. We need much better representation. The professional qualifications are impressive, but gender balance is equally important.
R
Rohit P
The alliance arithmetic looks solid on paper. Congress with 28 seats, VCK with 8... covers different voter bases. But the real test will be on the ground. The "latest not last" line from Stalin is a good counter to the opposition 😄. Let's see if the strategy works.
S
Sarah B
Interesting to see the inclusion of so many doctors and advocates. Hopefully, this brings a more analytical and law-abiding approach to the assembly. The tribute at Karunanidhi memorial shows the importance of legacy in TN politics.
V
Vikram M
The key will be how the votes transfer between alliance partners. DMK has given away 70 seats. Will Congress and DMDK (10 seats) be able to hold their ground? And with Vijay's TVK in the mix, it could split some votes. A very interesting election ahead!
K
Karthik V
Finalising candidates so close to the polls is a bit of a risk. Rivals have had more time for campaigning. But if the DMK machinery is as strong as they say, they might pull it off. The candidate list seems balanced across regions at least.

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