In a move aimed at ending weeks of political speculation, the Congress on Saturday announced a five-member committee to begin seat-sharing negotiations with the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) ahead of the 2026 Tamil Nadu Assembly elections.
Senior Congress leader P Chidambaram welcomed the announcement, calling it a timely decision that would put an end to unnecessary rumours regarding the alliance. He said the formation of the committee also reaffirms the strength and unity of the Congress–DMK alliance in Tamil Nadu.
The newly constituted panel will be chaired by Girish Chodankar, the AICC in-charge for Tamil Nadu and Puducherry. Its other members include senior leaders Suraj Hegde, Nivedith Alva, Tamil Nadu Congress Committee (TNCC) president K Selvaperunthagai, and Congress Legislative Party (CLP) leader S Rajeshkumar.
According to party sources, the committee is expected to meet DMK president and Chief Minister MK Stalin soon to formally begin discussions on the alliance for the 2026 polls.
The announcement comes at a sensitive political moment, particularly after Rahul Gandhi’s telephonic conversation with TVK chief Vijay following the Karur tragedy had triggered speculation about a possible Congress–TVK alignment. The new committee clarifies Congress’s position and signals continuity within the existing alliance.
Tamil Nadu Deputy Chief Minister Udhayanidhi Stalin had earlier dismissed rumours of a rift, asserting that the Congress remains firmly within the DMK-led coalition. Addressing a public event where he shared the stage with TNCC chief K Selvaperunthagai, he joked that even if the Congress leader stepped away momentarily due to an urgent call, the media should not rush to claim a fallout.
“Congress is in the DMK alliance,” he had said, adding that the media might be waiting to write that Udhayanidhi is upset or Selvaperunthagai is missing, “but that won’t happen.”
The Congress and DMK have maintained a strong partnership through several elections. The Congress contested the 2019 and 2024 Lok Sabha elections and the 2021 Tamil Nadu Assembly election as part of the DMK alliance. In 2021, the party secured 18 seats out of the 25 it contested, marking one of its strongest performances in recent years.