‘Power-sharing’ remarks by Chodankar stir fresh tensions in DMK-Congress alliance

The DMK and Congress have been allies long enough to know how these negotiations go — one side asks for more, the other offers less, and the gap between them fills up with pointed statements and hasty clarifications. That familiar dance is playing out again as Tamil Nadu's 2026 Assembly elections draw closer.

The Congress wants more seats. Having contested 41 constituencies in 2016 before being cut back to 25 in 2021, the party is reportedly pushing for somewhere between 39 and 41 — a restoration, in its eyes, of what it once had. The DMK sees it differently. With a larger alliance to accommodate this time around, it is willing to move only marginally from the last arrangement, offering two or three seats extra at most.

LoP arithmetic in focus

The Congress high command, sources told The Federal, is also keen on securing the DMK's support for a Rajya Sabha berth to safeguard its claim on the post of Leader of Opposition.

The Congress's strength in Parliament's Upper House is currently 27, which is just two above the required bench strength of 25 MPs for the Opposition party to retain the post of LoP, held by Congress chief Mallikarjun Kharge. Of these 27 MPs, the RS terms of eight, including Kharge, are set to expire this year in two batches between April and June.

Also Read: ‘No question of alliance strain with DMK’: AICC in-charge Chodankar

The arithmetic may appear straightforward, but conflicting statements are becoming pain points.

Congress eyes share in power

Congress leaders have been raising demands for a share in administrative power, including at the local body level (panchayats, municipalities, and corporations). In a recent interview, Tamil Nadu Congress in-charge Girish Chodankar said power-sharing discussions, particularly at the grassroots level, have been part of high-level talks between Delhi and Chennai leaders.

He described meetings, including one between Congress general secretary (organisation) KC Venugopal and Chief Minister MK Stalin, as courtesy visits that also touched on these issues.

Chodankar said, "In principle, they (DMK) did not have any problem regarding power-sharing at the panchayat, corporation, and local body levels."

‘Which party doesn’t want power?’

On the broader question of seeking power, he remarked, "Which political party would say it doesn't want power? We run a political party, not an NGO. Every political party has its own aspirations."

He also addressed speculation about potential ties with actor-turned-politician Vijay's Tamizhaga Vetri Kazhagam (TVK), noting that TVK had expressed willingness for an alliance at the grassroots level, acknowledging Congress's strength. However, he clarified that talks are ongoing exclusively with the DMK leadership, which has formed a seat-sharing committee.

Also Read: Is Congress using Vijay’s TVK to bargain harder with DMK?

"In politics, you have to talk to everyone. Contacts never stop; even bitter rivals greet each other at events," Chodankar said.

‘Alliance ideological and natural’

These comments have sparked fresh controversy, with some Congress leaders, including state president K Selvaperunthagai, dismissing them as misinterpretations or personal views rather than official positions.

In a recent interview, Selvaperunthagai strongly defended the alliance, calling it "ideological" and "natural" for both the nation and Tamil Nadu. He asserted that no force can break it, alleging BJP and RSS involvement in conspiracies.

"Congress and DMK are an ideological alliance... No one can destroy this, no one can break it," he declared, condemning what he called media distortions and insisting that the partnership remains solid to defeat communal forces.

Journalists analysing the developments have noted periods of calm following Venugopal's visit and Stalin's dismissal of power-sharing as a "conspiracy”, only for Chodankar's remarks to stir the waters again. Commentators have urged greater discipline within Congress ranks to avoid public contradictions until negotiations conclude. They emphasised that the alliance benefits both parties electorally; Congress gained significantly from DMK's strength in past polls.

‘Seat-sharing talks going smoothly’

Selvaperunthagai recently confirmed progress in talks, stating that the first round is complete and the next round, including a visit to DMK headquarters Anna Arivalayam, is imminent.

"In a day or two, we will go to Anna Arivalayam and we will talk... There is no problem," he said, reaffirming that seat-sharing discussions are advancing smoothly.

Also Read: No alliance decision yet, TVK a ‘clear third force’: Congress’s Praveen Chakravarthy

With both sides exchanging clarifications and maintaining that the alliance is intact, the focus now shifts to the outcome of upcoming rounds, which could shape seat allocations and more.

Upper House numbers game

On the Rajya Sabha seat issue, meanwhile, indications are that the DMK may concede. With its strength in state assemblies massively depleted and the party unable to prevent cross-voting and defection of its MLAs during Rajya Sabha polls, the Congress faces a worrying situation.

While it currently has the required MLAs across various states to elect at least 10 MPs to the Rajya Sabha this year (3 from Karnataka, 2 from Telangana, and one each from Rajasthan, MP, Chhattisgarh, and Himachal Pradesh), this figure can just as easily be skewed if the party faces cross-voting, defection, or internal revolt by MLAs in its deeply-divided units of Karnataka, MP, Himachal Pradesh, or Chhattisgarh.

Any further slip in its Rajya Sabha numbers could, thus, imperil the party's claim on the post of LoP in Rajya Sabha. As such, the party is hoping to maximise its RS numbers with help from allies like the DMK in Tamil Nadu.

Also Read: DMK-Congress-TVK’s triangular ‘love story’ hots up ahead of TN polls

Speaking to The Federal, senior DMK leaders expressed dissatisfaction with the prospect of allocating a Rajya Sabha seat to an "outsider" from the Congress, indicating internal reluctance within the party over nominating non-Tamil Nadu figures for such positions.

However, sources added that the DMK high command may be willing to reconsider and accommodate the demand if the proposed candidate is a leader from Tamil Nadu. This could ease tensions in the alliance negotiations.

Chodankar's remarks on power-sharing at panchayat and municipal levels drew a backlash, but Selvaperunthagai clarified that there was no official stance and stressed the focus on unity against the BJP.