Lok Sabha polls: DMK, Congress finalise 9+1 seat-sharing deal in repeat of 2019 formula

DMK President and Chief Minister M K Stalin and TNCC chief K Selvaperunthagai finalised the deal, in the presence of AICC leaders K C Venugopal and Ajoy Kumar.

dmk congress seat sharing lok sabha polls 2024

Congress leader K C Venugopal with Tamil Nadu Congress Committee President K Selvaperunthagai and other leaders meet DMK President M K Stalin to seal a seat-sharing deal ahead of the Lok Sabha polls. (PTI)

The Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) and Congress Saturday finalised their Lok Sabha seat-sharing agreement, mirroring their formula from the 2019 general polls. The Congress will contest nine seats in Tamil Nadu and the lone seat in Puducherry out of a total of 40 seats.

In 2019, the Congress had won nine out of the ten seats it contested. Party leader K C Venugopal, in Chennai to finalise the alliance talks with the DMK chief and Chief Minister M K Stalin, said this agreement is about putting up a unified stand against the “divisive and anti-federal” government at the Centre. “Under the leadership of CM Stalin, Tamil Nadu is countering the divisive forces plaguing our nation. We have witnessed the Union government’s assaults on opposition-ruled states, targeting the pride and ethos of Tamil Nadu,” Venugopal said.

“Our alliance is not merely an electoral pact but a binding commitment to safeguard the interests of Tamil Nadu. We are united in our resolve to challenge the anti-people government in Delhi,” Venugopal said, adding that the alliance will win all 40 seats.

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There may, however, be some nuanced adjustments in the allocation of seats. For instance, sources said the Congress will likely exchange its Trichy seat for Mayiladuthurai, transferring the former to Vaiko’s Marumalarchi Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (MDMK) on DMK’s request. Also, the Congress will likely relinquish the Aarani seat to the DMK in return for Cuddalore, from where former Tamil Nadu Congress chief K S Alagiri could potentially be fielded.

The DMK is also learnt to have asked for the Tiruvallur seat from the Congress, citing the bleak prospects of its candidate. The Congress, reportedly, has promised to field a new candidate to retain the seat.

With the first round of alliance talks in the DMK camp coming to an end, a top leader said the party may take the Coimbatore seat from the CPI(M) amid speculation of a strong BJP contender being fielded there — state chief K Annamalai. The DMK has also assured the CPI(M) of a favourable shift to Dindigul, citing the substantial electoral margin DMK secured there in 2019. “We have conveyed that Dindigul is the safest seat for them as DMK had one of the highest margins there in 2019 (5,85,998 votes) with 52.48 per cent of the total votes,” the DMK leader said.