Explained: This article explains the political background, key decisions, and possible outcomes related to Explained : Tussle over seat sharing in Cong–DMK alliance in Puducherry and Its Impact and why it matters right now.
The alliance between the Congress and the DMK is witnessing fresh negotiations over seat sharing ahead of the upcoming Assembly elections in Puducherry. The discussions come shortly after the two parties concluded a hard-fought agreement for the Assembly polls in Tamil Nadu.
Historically, the power equation between the two allies has differed in the two regions. While the Congress has largely played the role of a junior partner in Tamil Nadu, it has traditionally been the dominant partner in Puducherry. In the 2021 Puducherry Assembly elections, the Congress contested and won 21 seats, while the DMK secured nine seats out of the 30-member Assembly.
Tensions between the two parties had already surfaced in Tamil Nadu in recent months when the Congress demanded 39 seats out of the 234-member Assembly, significantly higher than the 25 seats it contested in 2021. After prolonged negotiations, the party eventually settled for 28 seats following firm resistance from the DMK leadership.
As attention shifted to Puducherry, however, the DMK has begun asserting itself more strongly in the negotiations. Congress leaders have argued that the earlier arrangement—where the DMK led seat-sharing talks in Tamil Nadu and the Congress led them in Puducherry—should continue in the interest of fairness. Despite this, the DMK has yet to respond to the Congress’s proposal.
Congress has formed a seven-member panel headed by former Puducherry Chief Minister V. Narayanasamy to negotiate the seat-sharing formula. According to Congress leaders, the party is waiting for the DMK to join the talks.
“All India Congress Committee in charge of Tamil Nadu and Puducherry,” Girish Chodankar said, adding that the party expects the previous arrangement to continue.
“The DMK used to lead the seat-sharing talks in Tamil Nadu,, and the Congress used to do so in Puducherry. The same formula should continue this time to be fair,” he said.
Chodankar initially led the negotiations with the DMK in Tamil Nadu. However, the Congress high command later deployed former Union Minister P. Chidambaram to help finalise a deal with Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M. K. Stalin.
Earlier, Chodankar had met Stalin on December 3, 2025, presenting the Congress demand for more than 25 seats along with proposals for power sharing. The DMK subsequently formed its own negotiation panel headed by veteran leader T. R. Baalu after nearly 80 days, on February 22, 2026.
Following intense back-and-forth discussions between the top leadership of both parties, the agreement was finally announced on March 4, 2026. Under the deal, the Congress will contest 28 Assembly seats and receive one Rajya Sabha berth.
Chodankar described the agreement as a compromise aimed at preserving the alliance. “Our larger focus was on saving the alliance. We sacrificed by agreeing to 28 seats. Nobody can be happy with less. We had desired more, but the silver lining is that we got three seats more than in 2021,” he said.
Congress insiders said that while negotiations in Tamil Nadu were largely centred on seat numbers, discussions on power sharing were deferred. However, the DMK has reportedly agreed to accommodate Congress members in local boards and corporations if the alliance returns to power.
At the same time, the Congress has intensified its organisational efforts in Puducherry. In February, the party held a large foot march led by AICC general secretary in charge of organisation K. C. Venugopal to protest against what it described as poor governance by the ruling National Democratic Alliance (NDA) government. Narayanasamy and several other senior leaders participated in the march.
The party’s central leadership has also appointed senior ministers from Karnataka and Telangana—Dinesh Gundu Rao and Ponnam Prabhakar—as special observers for the Puducherry elections, along with veteran leader Mukul Wasnik.
According to Anjali Nimbalkar, the party has been actively consulting workers and leaders across the union territory. She said the Congress organisation in Puducherry remains united and prepared for the upcoming polls.
Nimbalkar has also been meeting domestic workers and interacting with local communities to understand their issues while mobilising support for the party in the run-up to the elections.