Chennai, March 4: After several days of discussions and uncertainty, the ruling Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) and Congress officially signed a seat-sharing agreement for the upcoming Tamil Nadu assembly elections on Wednesday.
According to the agreement, Congress will contest 28 assembly seats, an increase from the 25 seats it contested under the alliance in the 2021 assembly elections.
Additionally, Congress has been allocated one Rajya Sabha seat as part of the agreement between the two parties. The signing took place at the DMK headquarters, Anna Arivalayam, with DMK President and Chief Minister M.K. Stalin and Tamil Nadu Congress Committee (TNCC) President K. Selva Perunthagai in attendance.
The Rajya Sabha seat allocated to Congress is seen as a significant political arrangement aimed at strengthening the alliance ahead of crucial assembly elections.
The deal was finalized after multiple rounds of negotiations between leaders of both parties, which faced temporary setbacks over the number of seats and Congress’s demand for a more substantial role in the alliance.
At one point, it seemed negotiations might collapse as Congress insisted on a larger share of the seats. However, the deadlock was resolved when senior Congress leader P. Chidambaram acted as a mediator and met with Chief Minister Stalin on March 3.
Following this discussion, both parties moved towards finalizing the agreement. Before the signing ceremony, a delegation from Congress, led by Girish Chodankar, in charge of the All India Congress Committee (AICC) for Tamil Nadu, met with the Chief Minister.
The delegation included TNCC President Selva Perunthagai, Congress Legislature Party leader K. Rajesh Kumar, and other senior leaders.
After signing the agreement, Selva Perunthagai expressed satisfaction with the deal and confidence that the alliance would perform well in the upcoming elections. He also mentioned that the candidate for the Rajya Sabha seat would be announced later by the party’s high command in consultation with state leadership. Chodankar indicated that formal discussions on seat-sharing for the Puducherry assembly elections would begin on March 5.
This agreement further strengthens the long-standing alliance between DMK and Congress, which began over two decades ago in 2004. Despite occasional differences, including a brief separation before the 2014 Lok Sabha elections, this partnership remains a significant political force in Tamil Nadu and continues to play a crucial role in shaping the state’s electoral landscape.
My name is Himanshu Tiwari. I am an experienced content writer with several years of expertise in the field. Currently, I contribute to Daily Kiran, creating engaging and informative content across a variety of categories including TECHNOLOGY, health, travel, education, and automobiles. My goal is to deliver accurate, insightful, and captivating information through my words to help readers stay informed and empowered.
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