No power-sharing, DMK tells Rahul Gandhi; Congress may get more seats

way2barak, Jan 29: Former Congress president Rahul Gandhi and DMK leader Kanimozhi met on Wednesday at 10 Janpath to discuss the upcoming Tamil Nadu Assembly elections, but no agreement was reached on seat-sharing, sources said.

DMK has clearly conveyed it will not offer Congress a cabinet seat, though it reaffirmed its commitment to continue the alliance. “The final takeaway is a firm ‘no’ to Congress for ministerial posts and a strong ‘yes’ for the alliance to continue,” a senior DMK source told.

During the meeting, Gandhi emphasised the need to respect the Congress while urging the DMK to coordinate with the team led by party chief Mallikarjun Kharge to resolve seat-sharing issues. “It was a pleasant meeting. No numbers for seat sharing were discussed, but there was an emphasis on showing respect for Congress,” a party source said.

Congress leaders in Tamil Nadu have been pushing for a higher number of seats and a meaningful role in power. The party had contested 25 out of 234 Assembly seats in 2021 and won 18.

However, the DMK is not willing to increase Congress’s seat share beyond what it offered in the previous election.

DMK sources said the party has consistently supported Congress in Parliament and expected reciprocal support at the state level.

Some Congress leaders have also floated the possibility of partnering with actor Vijay’s Tamilaga Vetri Kazhagam (TVK) as an alternative, though the grand old party’s top leadership is reportedly keen on contesting the polls alongside DMK.