Congress Sets Up Panel For Seat-Sharing Talks With DMK Ahead Of 2026 Tamil Nadu Assembly Polls

Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge has formed a five-member committee to engage in seat-sharing negotiations with the DMK for the 2026 Tamil Nadu Assembly elections, Tamil Nadu Congress Committee (TNCC) chief K. Selvaperunthagai announced on Saturday.

According to Selvaperunthagai, the delegation appointed to discuss terms with the ruling DMK will be headed by Girish Chodankar, the party’s in-charge for Tamil Nadu and Puducherry. Selvaperunthagai himself, along with legislature party leader S. Rajeshkumar, will serve on the committee.

Senior Congress leader P. Chidambaram welcomed the move, saying the leadership’s decision would reinforce cohesion within the INDIA bloc. He noted that the announcement should put to rest ongoing speculation surrounding the alliance.

Chidambaram’s remarks carry weight, as rumours have periodically surfaced suggesting the Congress might break ties with the DMK and align instead with actor-turned-politician Vijay’s Tamizhaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK) for the 2026 elections.

By underlining his confidence in the newly constituted panel and its implications, Chidambaram has effectively dismissed such conjecture about a possible Congress–TVK partnership.

With PTI inputs