Manickam Tagore hints at accepting DMK deal amid seat-sharing talks

Congress MP Manickam Tagore hinted at accepting the DMK's seat-sharing offer for the 2026 Tamil Nadu polls, stating party workers will follow the high command's decision. This signals a move towards unity despite initial friction over the number of seats.

Congress MP Manickam Tagore on Wednesday hinted at accepting an alliance with coalition partner Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) amid discussions over a seat-sharing pact for the Tamil Nadu Assembly elections.

In an X post amid ongoing seat-sharing discussions, Manickam Tagore said that party workers in Tamil Nadu will accept the high command's decision. "Individuals may have differences, but the party is bigger than any one of us. When leadership decides, we accept it with discipline -- because unity is our greatest strength. Good Friends," the Congress MP wrote.

Alliance Talks Reaffirmed

Following initial objections and rumours of the party joining hands with the debutant Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK), the Congress MP's post highlighted that he has fallen in line with the party's high command.

This comes after senior Congress leader P Chidambaram and State Congress President K Selvaperunthagai met Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin on Tuesday.

Selvaperunthagai said the alliance between the DMK and Congress remains intact and discussions are progressing without friction ahead of the 2026 Assembly elections. "Everything is going on smoothly. I am a soldier of the party. Whatever the high command says, I will follow. AICC will make the final decision," Selvaperunthagai told reporters after the meeting.

Seat-Sharing Negotiations

Downplaying speculations over seat-sharing talks, he added, "This was just a courtesy call, and we went there. There are no speculations and no negotiations."

The tussle to finalise the seat-sharing for the alliance emerged when the DMK offered Congress 25 seats, while the party was expecting to get to contest on more.

On March 1, All India Congress Committee (AICC) In-Charge for Tamil Nadu Girish Chodankar told ANI, "They offered us 25 seats, but that is not acceptable to us. Whatever we want, we have given to them."

Focus on 2026 Assembly Polls

Notably, the 234-member Tamil Nadu Assembly will go to the polls in the first half of 2026, where the MK Stalin-led alliance will look to project the 'Dravidian Model 2.0' for the win against the BJP-AIADMK alliance. (ANI)

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