As Tamil Nadu gears up for the high-stakes 2026 Assembly elections, the ruling DMK-led Secular Progressive Alliance (SPA) has officially finalized its seat-sharing arrangement. Chief Minister M.K. Stalin, maintaining his firm grip on the coalition, has successfully navigated through weeks of intense negotiations and public posturing by alliance partners.

The Congress Bargain: After several rounds of deliberation, the Indian National Congress has agreed to contest 28 seats. This is a marginal increase from the 25 seats it contested in 2021. While the grand old party initially demanded over 40 seats and even a share in the state cabinet, the DMK leadership remained steadfast, citing the need for a strong individual majority. To compensate, the DMK has reportedly promised an additional Rajya Sabha berth to the Congress in the upcoming cycle.

Distribution Among Allies: The DMK has allocated a total of 70 seats to its coalition partners. In a significant move, the DMDK, led by Premallatha Vijayakant, has been allotted 10 seats, marking its formal entry into the Stalin-led front. The Viduthalai Chiruthaigal Katchi (VCK) will field candidates in 8 constituencies. The Left remains a stable partner, with both CPI and CPI(M) receiving 5 seats each. Other smaller allies like the MDMK (4 seats), IUML (2), and KMDK (2) have also been accommodated in the final tally.

DMK’s Dominance: M.K. Stalin’s party will directly contest 164 seats, ensuring that the DMK can potentially reach the majority mark of 118 on its own. While the major allies will contest on their respective party symbols, several smaller parties have agreed to contest under the DMK’s iconic ‘Rising Sun’ symbol to maximize the coalition’s voting efficiency.

With the state set to go to the polls on April 23 and results scheduled for May 4, the DMK-Congress combine looks confident. However, with actor-politician Vijay’s TVK and the AIADMK-BJP front posing a challenge, the battle for Fort St. George is far from one-sided.