One for all: On seat-sharing for the Tamil Nadu Assembly election

After the drama that lasted over a month over the issue of seat sharing for the Tamil Nadu Assembly election, the ruling DMK and its long-standing ally, the Congress, have done well by reaching an understanding without leaving room for rancour. Senior party leaders including Mallikarjun Kharge, P. Chidambaram and Kanimozhi helped both sides iron out their differences. The deal is now key for the DMK-led Secular Progressive Alliance (SPA) to finalise seat-sharing with other constituents, as the Congress is the coalition’s second-largest member. Given that the DMK is negotiating with more smaller parties than before, the Congress should consider the allotment of 28 Assembly seats and one Rajya Sabha seat a fair deal. In the 2021 polls, it contested 25 seats, 16 lower than the 2016 tally. But, significant political changes in the State happened as almost all anti-BJP parties have rallied behind the DMK since then. Although the Congress and the DMK have contested elections together since 2016, with much success, the presence of the fledgling Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK), led by actor Vijay, in the fray had prompted some Congress leaders to suggest aligning with the TVK which was open to a coalition regime — an idea not acceptable to the DMK and its traditional adversary, the AIADMK. Being a new force, it could offer more seats to the Congress than the DMK, along with power sharing. Apart from questions about the probability of success of such an electoral tie-up, Congress-DMK ties cannot be merely viewed in terms of numbers or the pursuit of power sharing.

The national party knows well the importance of the regional party in its scheme of things to improve its position, at the all-India level, if not get back to the original strength. In the general elections in 2019 and 2024, the SPA defeated the AIADMK and the BJP. Besides, the DMK, which is firm against the idea of a coalition government, swiftly fulfilled the Congress’s demand for Rajya Sabha seats — now and in 2022; in contrast, Jammu and Kashmir’s National Conference had, last October, offered a Rajya Sabha seat to the Congress despite unfavourable numbers. Along with its ability to transfer the most number of votes from Scheduled Castes and religious minorities in Tamil Nadu’s southern districts, the DMK requires the Grand Old Party to flag, at the national level, issues concerning States in general and Tamil Nadu in particular, as the BJP-led Centre tries to limit the space for States. The Dravidian major and its leader, Chief Minister M.K. Stalin, deserve commendation for having managed the allies well, with no grievances apparent. With a strong alliance in place, the SPA retains an edge over the AIADMK-led National Democratic Alliance in the State (it includes the BJP) despite anti-incumbency and a strong challenge from the TVK.