DMK-Congress To Seal The Deal Today, M Kharge Clears 28-29 Seat Formula

Ending days of suspense and brinkmanship, the ruling Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) and the Indian National Congress are set to formally seal their seat-sharing deal this evening, sources in both parties confirmed to NDTV.

According to sources, the Congress is likely to get 28 or 29 Assembly seats - an increase from the 25 it contested in 2021 - along with one Rajya Sabha seat. The breakthrough comes a day after senior Congress leader P Chidambaram held one-on-one talks with DMK president and Chief Minister MK Stalin.

A Congress MP confirmed to NDTV, saying, "Congress Chief Kharge has approved this," signalling that party president Mallikarjun Kharge has given the green light for continuation of the alliance.

Welcoming the development, a DMK MP said, "The Congress can't find any trusted ally as the DMK," underlining the ruling party's confidence that the two-decade-old partnership would hold.

The latest development marks a climbdown from the Congress' initial demand for 34 seats and at least 30 as a minimum compromise formula. A section of state leaders had even publicly pushed for a greater share in power, triggering speculation of a possible rupture, TACITLY leveraging on actor Vijay's TVK's offer for a share in power.

Among those who had earlier demanded more seats and a share in power was Congress MP Manickam Tagore. In a post on X on Wednesday, he struck a conciliatory note: "Individuals may have differences, but the party is bigger than any one of us. When leadership decides, we accept it with discipline - because unity is our greatest strength."

“Individuals may have differences, but the party is bigger than any one of us.
When leadership decides, we accept it with discipline — because unity is our greatest strength.”
Good Friends 🙏🇮🇳

— Manickam Tagore .B🇮🇳மாணிக்கம் தாகூர்.ப (@manickamtagore) March 4, 2026

The statement is being seen as a clear message of unity ahead of the formal announcement.

The DMK-Congress alliance has been electorally formidable, winning three successive elections since 2019, including a clean sweep of all 39 Lok Sabha seats in Tamil Nadu and the lone seat in Puducherry in 2024. The delay in finalising the deal this time, however, had fuelled speculation - particularly with actor Vijay's fledgling party positioning itself as a potential alternative ally.

With Congress chief Kharge's approval now in place and both sides signalling closure, the uneasy calm appears set to give way to renewed camaraderie -  at least at the leadership level. The real test will be how quickly cadres on the ground fall in line after weeks of hard bargaining and public posturing.