DMK unlikely to offer more seats to Secular Progressive Alliance constituents as it seeks to take in new allies

The DMK leadership is unlikely to offer more seats to several of its allies, it is reliably learnt. The ruling party is, instead, focussing on accommodating new parties, without drastically disturbing the status quo of the Secular Progressive Alliance headed by it.

The DMK is yet to constitute a committee to hold seat-sharing talks with its allies. Its principal ally, Congress, had last year itself appointed a five-member committee for the purpose. By constituting the committee, the Congress sought to end speculation that it might align with actor Vijay’s Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK). Recently, it restrained its leaders from expressing hostile views on social media.

The Congress’s committee has held discussions with DMK leaders during which some Congress leaders demanded a share in power.

“However, the DMK leadership is in no mood to concede either a share in power or an increase in the number of seats for the Congress. We will allot the same number of seats that were given to the Congress in the 2021 Assembly election,” said a senior DMK leader.

Congress general secretary K.C. Venugopal is also in touch with the DMK leadership and is keen on finalising the seat-sharing arrangement at the earliest.

In the 2021 election, the Congress contested in 25 constituencies and won in 18. The Viduthalai Chiruthaikal Katchi (VCK), the CPI, the CPI(M) and the MDMK (on the DMK symbol) contested in six constituencies each. The Indian Union Muslim League (IUML) contested in three constituencies. The Kongunadu Makkal Desiya Katchi, the Manithaneya Makkal Katchi, and the Tamizhaga Vazhvurimai Katchi, led by T. Velmurugan, also contested on the DMK’s Rising Sun symbol.

“This seat-sharing formula worked well in 2021 and will hold good this time too,” a DMK source said.

The DMK leadership is also holding talks with the Desiya Murpokku Dravida Kazhagam (DMDK), which will have to be allotted seats if it agrees to join the alliance. The DMDK leadership, which stayed away from the NDA rally attended by Prime Minister Narendra Modi last week, is reportedly pressing for a double-digit number of seats. “That is not possible. We are in touch with them, but they will have to settle for a single digit,” the source said.

For now, the DMK plans to broadly follow the 2021 formula with adjustments to accommodate parties such as Kamal Haasan’s Makkal Needhi Maiyam (MNM) and the DMDK. It is not clear how the DMK will deal with the MNM. A senior DMK leader said, “Mr. Kamal Haasan has been nominated to the Rajya Sabha, and this itself is equivalent to six Assembly seats.”