Chennai, Feb 24 (IANS) The Tamil Maanila Congress (TMC) has reportedly sought six Assembly seats from the AIADMK-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA) for the upcoming 2026 Tamil Nadu Assembly elections, even as formal seat-sharing talks within the alliance are yet to begin.
Political sources indicate that the demand has been informally conveyed, setting the stage for what is expected to be intense negotiations in the coming weeks.
With the Assembly elections approaching, all major political parties in Tamil Nadu have stepped up their preparations.
The Election Commission is widely expected to announce the poll schedule in March, with voting likely to take place in April. In anticipation, parties have accelerated alliance discussions, constituency assessments, grassroots mobilisation and public outreach programmes.
The AIADMK is leading the NDA in the state, which currently includes the BJP, PMK, AMMK, TMC, Puthiya Neethi Katchi, Puratchi Bharatham, IJK led by Parivendhar, and Tamizhaga Makkal Munnetra Kazhagam led by John Pandian.
While the AIADMK has not officially commenced seat-sharing negotiations, alliance partners are understood to have begun staking claim to constituencies they wish to contest.
The TMC’s demand for six seats has drawn attention, especially since the party was accommodated with a Rajya Sabha seat during the previous electoral cycle.
Observers believe that this earlier arrangement may factor into the upcoming discussion, which is likely to face the challenging task of balancing competing demands.
Meanwhile, political equations have shifted following the DMDK, which was earlier expected to align with the AIADMK, and has aligned with the DMK camp. This development is said to have encouraged other NDA allies to press for more seats.
On the other side, the DMK has already initiated structured discussions with its partners under the INDIA bloc.
The DMK-led alliance includes the Congress, CPI(M), MDMK, MMK, IUML, DMDK and VCK. Talks have reportedly been held with several allies, with indications that the DMK leadership has urged some parties to consider contesting fewer seats compared to previous elections.
As negotiations gather pace on both sides, seat-sharing arrangements are expected to significantly shape the contours of Tamil Nadu’s 2026 Assembly election battle.
–IANS
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