Tamil Nadu Assembly election 2026: DMDK allotted 10 seats, DMK likely to contest in 175 seats

The ruling DMK on Tuesday (March 24, 2026) almost wrapped up seat-sharing for the Tamil Nadu Assembly elections by allocating as many as 10 seats to its new ally, DMDK (in addition to its earlier Rajya Sabha berth) and eight constituencies to its long-time co-traveller VCK.

Makkal Needhi Maiam founder Kamal Haasan opted out of the poll fray but extended full support to the DMK-led Secular Progressive Alliance (SPA).

Assembly Elections LIVE updates on March 24, 2026

The ruling party is likely to enter the fray in 175 of the 234 Assembly segments in the upcoming elections. This will include candidates of other parties, who have agreed to contest on the DMK’s ‘Rising Sun’ symbol.

On Tuesday morning (March 24), Viduthalai Chiruthaigal Katchi (VCK) leader Thol Thirumavalavan met DMK president and Chief Minister M.K. Stalin and signed the pact. In the evening, DMDK leader Premallatha Vijayakant and Mr Stalin signed an agreement at the Anna Arivalayam.

So far, the DMK has allocated 66 seats to its allies — 28 to the Congress, 10 to the DMDK, eight to the VCK, five each to the CPI and CPI(M), four to the MDMK, and two each to the Indian Union Muslim League, Kongunadu Makkal Desiya Katchi (KMDK), and Manithaneya Makkal Katchi (MMK).

Of these, both the KMDK and MMK will contest on the DMK’s ticket, while the MDMK will contest under the ‘Rising Sun’ symbol in three of the four seats.

As far as the DMDK is concerned, the DMK had already allocated one Rajya Sabha seat to it, and subsequently, party treasurer L.K. Sudhish was elected to the Upper House this month.

The VCK will contest six reserved Assembly segments and two general constituencies. In the 2021 election, the VCK contested from Kattumannarkoil (SC), Cheyyur (SC), Nagapattinam, Thiruporur, Arakkonam (SC), and Vanur (SC). It won four seats and lost in Arakkonam and Vanur.

Mr. Thirumavalavan told reporters he had discussed with Mr. Stalin the resolution passed by his party on Monday (March 23), seeking seats in “two digits” for the Assembly election and a Rajya Sabha seat in 2028. He said 23 parties are part of the SPA, which he described as an ideological alliance meant to counter “right-wing religious forces”. At this juncture, the VCK decided to settle for eight seats, given that the victory of the alliance is as important as the interests of his party.

Mr. Thirumavalavan said the VCK bore greater responsibility in defeating the “right-wing alliance of the Sangh Parivar” as well as forces that distort the ideologies of Karl Marx, B.R. Ambedkar, and Periyar E.V. Ramasamy in the name of opposing Dravidian politics. He said his party did not broach the subject of a Rajya Sabha seat at present because all vacancies had been filled. The VCK would approach the DMK whenever a vacancy arose in the future.

Ms. Premallatha, while speaking to reporters, expressed confidence that the DMK-led alliance would win more than 200 seats and that Mr. Stalin would become Chief Minister again. A five-member committee will be formed on behalf of the DMDK to hold talks with the DMK on the constituency list. The candidates’ list of DMDK will be released on March 27, she said, adding her party had demanded a higher number of seats but chose to settle for 10 in the interest of the alliance.

Later in the day, Mr. Haasan met Mr. Stalin at the DMK headquarters extending support.

In a post on X, Mr. Stalin, while referring to Mr. Haasan’s statement that not directly entering the electoral fray was not a sacrifice but a duty, said what Mr. Haasan had done was indeed a sacrifice.

He said the actor-politician’s decision had deeply moved him and thanked the members of Makkal Needhi Maiam as well. He also requested Mr. Haasan to travel across the State for the “forthcoming Dravidian Model 2.0 government”, which, he said, would also be shaped by Mr. Haasan’s affection.