The Premallatha-Vijayakant-led Desiya Murpokku Dravida Kazhagam won 10 seats in the DMK-led Secular Progressive Alliance (SPA) for the Tamil Nadu Assembly elections. Photo: Special arrangement
The ruling DMK on Tuesday (March 24, 2026) all but ended seat-sharing for the Tamil Nadu Assembly elections by allocating up to 10 seats to its new ally, the DMDK (excluding the erstwhile Rajya Sabha berth) and eight constituencies of its long-time companion VCK.
Makkal Needhi Maiam founder Kamal Haasan did not participate in the voting but gave his full support to the DMK-led Secular Progressive Alliance (SPA).
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The ruling party is likely to enter the fray in 175 of the 234 assembly segments in the upcoming elections. This will include candidates from other parties who have agreed to contest for the DMK’s ‘Rising Sun’ symbol.
On Tuesday morning (March 24), Viduthalai Chiruthaigal Katchi (VCK) leader Thol Thirumavalavan met DMK president and Chief Minister MK Stalin and signed the pact. In the evening, DMDK leader Premallatha Vijayakant and Mr. Stalin signed the agreement at Anna Arivalayam.
The DMK has so far allotted 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 Muslim League of India’s Kongunadu Makkal Desiya Katchi (KMDK) and Manithaneya Makkal Katchi (MMK).
Of these, both KMDK and MMK will contest on the DMK ticket, while MDMK will contest under the ‘Rising Sun’ symbol in three of the four seats.
As for the DMDK, the DMK has already allotted it one Rajya Sabha seat and subsequently party treasurer LK Sudhish was elected to the upper house this month.
VCK will contest in six reserved assembly constituencies and two general constituencies. In the 2021 elections, VCK contested 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 a resolution his party passed on Monday (March 23) demanding seats in “double digits” for the 2028 Assembly and Rajya Sabha elections. He said the 23 parties were part of the SPA, which he described as an ideological alliance designed to fight “right-wing religious forces”. At this point, the VCK decided to settle for eight seats, considering the victory of the alliance as important as his party’s interests.
Mr. Thirumavalavan said the VCK bears more responsibility for defeating the “right-wing Sangh Parivar alliance” as well as the forces distorting the ideologies of Karl Marx, BR Ambedkar and Periyar EV Ramasamy in the name of opposing Dravidian politics. He said that his party was not currently taking up the issue of the Rajya Sabha seat as all the vacancies were filled. The VCK would approach the DMK whenever a seat became vacant in the future.
Speaking to reporters, Ms. Premallatha expressed confidence that the DMK-led alliance would win more than 200 seats and that Mr. Stalin would once again become the chief minister. A five-member committee will be formed behind the DMDK to negotiate with the DMK on the list of constituencies. The DMDK candidate list will be released on March 27, she said, adding that her party had demanded a higher number of seats but decided to settle for 10 in the interest of the alliance.
Later that day, Mr. Haasan met Mr. Stalin at the DMK headquarters and extended support.
In a post on X, Mr. Stalin, referring to Mr. Haasan’s statement that not entering the election fray directly was not a sacrifice but a duty, said that what Mr. Haasan did was indeed a sacrifice.
He said he was deeply moved by the actor-politician’s decision and also thanked the members of Makkal Needhi Maiam. He also asked Mr. Haasan to travel across the state for the “coming Dravidian Model 2.0 government”, which he said would also be shaped by Mr. Haasan’s affection.
Published – 24 March 2026 21:42 IST
