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Congress Secures 28 Seats from DMK for 2026 Tamil Nadu Assembly Polls

The Tamil Nadu Congress Committee has secured an agreement to contest 28 seats in the 2026 Assembly elections as part of its alliance with the ruling DMK. The deal, finalized in a meeting between Chief Minister M.K. Stalin and Congress state chief K. Selvaperunthagai, also includes one seat in an upcoming Rajya Sabha election. The Secular Progressive Alliance aims to consolidate its position against the BJP-AIADMK coalition in the upcoming state polls. The political landscape is further complicated by the expected entry of actor Vijay's Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam, potentially creating a three-way contest.

Key Points: Congress Gets 28 Seats from DMK for Tamil Nadu 2026 Elections

  • Congress to contest 28 Assembly seats
  • Deal includes 1 Rajya Sabha seat
  • Alliance aims to oppose "divisive forces"
  • Talks held between Stalin and Selvaperunthagai
  • 2026 polls set for three-way contest
3 min read

Received 28 seats from DMK, very happy moment for us: Tamil Nadu Congress chief Selvaperunthagai

Tamil Nadu Congress chief expresses joy after DMK allocates 28 assembly seats and 1 Rajya Sabha seat for the 2026 polls in key alliance deal.

"This is a very happy moment for us. - K Selvaperunthagai"

Chennai, March 4

Tamil Nadu Congress President K Selvaperunthagai on Wednesday expressed joy after securing 28 assembly seats from the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam, along with one seat in the upcoming Rajya Sabha elections.

"This is a very happy moment for us. We have received 28 seats from the DMK, and I sincerely thank all our national and state leaders who made this possible. The alliance would strongly oppose divisive and fascist forces," he said.

This comes after the second round of seat-sharing talks ahead of the 2026 Tamil Nadu Assembly elections, which took place on Wednesday. The DMK and the Congress Party agreed that Congress will contest 28 Assembly constituencies and will be allocated one seat in the upcoming Rajya Sabha elections.

In a statement, party leaders said that the decision came following the meeting between the DMK President and Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin and Congress Committee President K Selvaperunthagai.

"With regard to the upcoming 2026 Legislative Assembly General Elections, a meeting was held today (04-03-2026) between the President of the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam and Hon'ble Chief Minister M.K. Stalin and the President of the Tamil Nadu Congress Committee, K. Selvaperunthagai, to discuss seat-sharing arrangements. It was decided that the Congress Party, which is part of the Secular Progressive Alliance, will contest in 28 Assembly constituencies in Tamil Nadu. It was also agreed that one seat will be allocated to the Congress Party in the forthcoming Rajya Sabha election," the statement read.

The announcement comes after a second round of seat-sharing talks at the DMK headquarters, Anna Arivalayam, attended by the Seat Sharing Committee of the Tamil Nadu Congress Committee led by AICC Election In-charge Girish Chodankar, along with senior leaders, including Congress Legislature Party Leader Rajesh Kumar and AICC Secretary Nivedit Alva.

The 234-member Tamil Nadu Assembly will go to the polls in the first half of 2026, where the incumbent MK Stalin-led alliance will look to project the 'Dravidian Model 2.0' for the win against the BJP-AIADMK alliance.

Actor-turned-politician Vijay's entry with his Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK) is expected to turn the Tamil Nadu polls into a three-way contest.

In the 2021 polls, the DMK won 133 seats in the 2021 Assembly polls. Congress won 18, PMK won five, VCK won four, and others won eight seats. The Secular Progressive Alliance (SPA), led by DMK, which consisted of Congress, won 159 seats collectively.

While the NDA won 75 seats, the AIADMK emerged as the largest party in the alliance with 66 seats.

- ANI

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Reader Comments

R
Rajesh Q
The real challenge is Vijay's TVK. It could split the anti-BJP vote. DMK-Congress alliance needs a very strong local narrative, not just "oppose divisive forces". What about jobs and water issues in the districts?
A
Arjun K
From 18 seats last time to 28 now. That's a significant jump in share. Shows DMK values the alliance. Congress should field strong, young candidates who can connect with voters, not just old faces.
S
Sarah B
As an observer, the early seat-sharing is a smart move. It gives them two years to campaign. But will the "Dravidian Model 2.0" resonate beyond Chennai and Coimbatore? The rural-urban divide in development is stark.
V
Vikram M
One Rajya Sabha seat is also important for national representation. Overall, a stable SPA is good for Tamil Nadu's progress. Hope they focus on governance now and not just politics.
K
Karthik V
With respect, Congress needs to prove it's not just a junior partner riding on DMK's coat-tails. What is their own vision for Tamil Nadu? Merely opposing the BJP is not a full policy platform. They need to articulate their own value.

We welcome thoughtful discussions from our readers. Please keep comments respectful and on-topic.

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