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    EYE ON INDIA                                                       FEBRUARY 20, 2026       |  The Indian Eye                    8

             Clouds Over Congress–DMK Alliance

                 as Seat Talks Begin in Tamil Nadu

                   Public assertions of unity mask growing tensions over seat-sharing and

                                      power-sharing ahead of the 2026 Assembly polls.

            OUR BUREAU

            Chennai / New Delhi
                  s Tamil Nadu moves towards the 2026 As-
                  sembly elections, the Congress–DMK alli-
            Aance — a key pillar of the broader INDIA
            bloc — is entering a delicate phase. While leaders
            on both sides insist that negotiations are “very,
            very smooth,” recent remarks from Congress MP
            Manickam Tagore suggest that beneath the surface,
            questions of seat-sharing and power-sharing are far
            from settled.
                The immediate flashpoint was an indirect swipe
            by Tagore at a remark attributed to Tamil Nadu
            Minister Raja Kannappan about the DMK winning
            160 seats while contesting 170 constituencies. Tag-
            ore responded by invoking hard numbers from the
            last election. “In 2021, we contested in 173 places
            and won 133 .. What we’re asking is about the places
            where you faced defeat. Power-sharing is essential.
            Governance share is our right. The people will de-
            cide,” he wrote on X.
                The subtext is unmistakable. In 2021, the DMK
            contested 173 seats and won 133, leading the Secular   Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin interacts with women beneficiaries of the Kalaignar Magalir Urimai Thogai scheme in
            Progressive Alliance to victory in the 234-member                        Chennai on Saturday (@CMOTamilnadu X/ANI)
            Assembly. The DMK–Congress alliance secured
            151 seats overall. While the arithmetic delivered   inant partner with 133 seats in 2021 compared to the   scheme due to the upcoming polls. The debate over
            power, the current debate suggests Congress is un-  AIADMK’s 66, enters negotiations from a position   welfare versus “election fear” adds another layer
            willing to accept a diminished role in the next round   of strength. Congress, however, is seeking lever-  to alliance dynamics. As the dominant party, the
            of negotiations.                             age by pointing to constituencies where the DMK   DMK is shaping the narrative with high-visibility
                Tagore’s emphasis on “governance share” sig-  “faced defeat.”                          welfare measures, potentially  limiting  Congress’s
            nals that this is not merely about seat allocation but   Complicating matters further is the political   ability to differentiate itself within the coalition.
            about political space and influence within govern-  backdrop created by Chief Minister MK Stalin’s re-  Meanwhile, Selvaperunthagai has sought to
            ment. For Congress, which has struggled nationally,   cent welfare announcements. On Friday, Stalin said   keep the focus on broader alliance unity and gover-
            Tamil Nadu remains one of the few states where it   that Rs 3,000 had been deposited in advance for Feb-  nance. Referring to Rahul Gandhi’s proposed visit,
            is part of a stable ruling alliance. Any perception of   ruary, March and April, along with a Rs 2,000 “sum-  he said, “We accepted the SOP. Everyone should ac-
            marginalisation in seat-sharing could have symbolic   mer special package,” totalling Rs 5,000 for 1.31 crore   cept it because the people’s security and safety are
            as well as electoral consequences.           women beneficiaries this month. He added that un-  very, very important.” He also criticised the BJP for
                At the same time, Tamil Nadu Congress Com-  der “Dravidian Model 2.0,” the Rs 1,000 monthly as-  straying into personal commentary, asking, “Why
            mittee (TNCC) president K Selvaperunthagai has   sistance would be doubled to Rs 2,000 if re-elected.  are they talking about Trisha, about personal life?
            projected calm. “The election process is going very,   Selvaperunthagai welcomed the move, saying,   It is not fair.”
            very smoothly. Negotiations are ongoing, and we   “Definitely.  People  are  welcoming  it.  Most  rural   These remarks indicate that Congress is keen to
            are going to start on February 22,” he told report-  people are in deep poverty; there is drought and no   portray itself as responsible and aligned with gover-
            ers in Chennai. He dismissed speculation of cracks,   proper rain. So this gift will be very helpful to poor   nance priorities, even as it negotiates harder behind
            asserting, “Nothing the BJP is thinking will happen.   people.” He also supported the proposed hike to   closed doors.
            The BJP wants to pull someone out of the INDIA   `2,000 per month, stating, “We welcome what our   The  central question  is  whether  the  Con-
            alliance to split the vote bank, but it will not happen.   Honourable Chief Minister announced - `2,000 per   gress–DMK partnership can balance asymmetry
            We are intact with the alliance.”             month as ‘Women’s Rights Money.’ Rural women’s   with accommodation. The DMK’s dominant per-
                Yet, the need to publicly reaffirm unity often   empowerment should be increased.”     formance  in  2021  gives  it  confidence;  Congress’s
            indicates internal strain. Seat-sharing in Tamil Nadu   However,  Opposition  parties  have  criticised   insistence that “power-sharing is essential” reveals
            has historically been a sensitive exercise, shaped by   the timing, calling it poll-driven. Stalin defended   its anxiety about  relevance. If seat  allocation tilts
            local caste equations, constituency-level strengths   the advance disbursal as pre-emptive, saying his   heavily in favour of the DMK without proportion-
            and leadership calculations. The DMK, as the dom-  government acted ahead of attempts to “block” the   al space for Congress, murmurs could grow louder.

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