Lok Sabha polls: DMK finalises seat-sharing pact with Congress, allots 9 seats in Tamil Nadu

The Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) in Tamil Nadu has solidified its alliance with the Congress party, allocating a significant number of seats for the upcoming parliamentary polls.

Under the leadership of DMK president and Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin, along with TNCC chief K Selvaperunthagai, the parties sealed the deal in a ceremony attended by senior All India Congress Committee (AICC) leaders KC Venugopal and Ajoy Kumar.

The agreement sees the Congress being allotted nine seats within Tamil Nadu, with an additional seat in the neighboring union territory of Puducherry. KC Venugopal, expressing optimism about the alliance's prospects, affirmed, "Congress will contest elections on 9 seats in Tamil Nadu and one seat in Puducherry. On the remaining seats, we will support the candidates of DMK and alliance parties. We will win all 40 seats of Tamil Nadu."

Highlighting the strength of the partnership, Venugopal asserted, "The bonding between the Congress and the DMK is intact," underscoring the deep-rooted cooperation between the two parties.

The Congress holds a pivotal position as the principal ally of the DMK within the Secular Progressive Alliance in Tamil Nadu. In the previous Lok Sabha elections in 2019, the Congress contested nine out of 39 parliamentary seats in Tamil Nadu and secured victories in eight constituencies, alongside its success in the lone seat in Puducherry. Meanwhile, the DMK, contesting 20 seats, swept all of them, showcasing the effectiveness of their combined electoral strategy.

The forthcoming parliamentary polls come on the heels of the 2021 Tamil Nadu assembly elections, where the DMK fielded candidates for 188 out of 234 seats and secured a commendable victory with 133 seats. The Congress, contesting on 25 seats, also made a substantial contribution to the alliance's success by securing victories in 18 constituencies.