DMK Allots Rajya Sabha Seat to DMDK Ahead of 2026 Tamil Nadu Polls; Congress Voices Displeasure

Chennai: With the 2026 Tamil Nadu Assembly election drawing closer, alliance arithmetic has begun to crystallise. In a significant political development, the Desiya Murpokku Dravida Kazhagam (DMDK) has formally joined the DMK-led front, sealing an agreement that grants the party one Rajya Sabha berth. The pact was signed at Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam headquarters in Anna Arivalayam, marking a first in the DMDK’s two-decade political journey.

Chief Minister and DMK president M. K. Stalin and DMDK treasurer L. K. Sudheesh were present as the agreement was formalised. For the DMDK, founded in 2005, this is the first time it will send a representative to the Rajya Sabha.

The DMDK had contested the previous election as part of the AIADMK alliance and is learnt to have held preliminary discussions this time with both the AIADMK and the BJP. However, talks reportedly stalled over the question of a Rajya Sabha nomination, with differences proving irreconcilable.

Following this, back-channel consultations with the DMK gathered pace. On February 19, DMDK general secretary Premalatha Vijayakanth met Stalin in person at Anna Arivalayam to confirm the party’s decision to join the front. She said the move reflected the wishes of party cadres and the vision of the late founder Vijayakanth.

Sources indicated that ahead of the tie-up, the DMDK had sought not only a Rajya Sabha seat but also a double-digit share of Assembly constituencies. While the Upper House berth has now been finalised, seat-sharing for the 2026 Assembly polls is expected to be announced in due course.

Sudheesh said the party’s nominee for the Rajya Sabha election would be announced by Premalatha. Political circles, however, are abuzz with indications that Sudheesh himself is likely to file nomination papers, potentially heading to Delhi as the DMDK’s first representative in the Upper House.

The DMDK has oscillated between contesting alone and aligning with larger formations in successive elections. Its entry into the DMK camp is unprecedented and is being viewed as a strategic recalibration ahead of 2026. The signing ceremony at Anna Arivalayam underscores the DMK’s attempt to consolidate its coalition early and avoid last-minute negotiations.

Yet the move has stirred unease within the alliance. The Congress, a long-standing partner in the DMK-led front, is learnt to be dissatisfied with the allocation. Party sources suggest that the leadership in Delhi is taken aback, particularly as the Congress has been pressing for a Rajya Sabha berth for itself in the run-up to the 2026 polls.

For years a steady ally in Tamil Nadu, the Congress now finds itself edged out in favour of a newcomer to the coalition. Stalin’s decision to sign off on the Rajya Sabha seat for the DMDK — within days of its formal induction — has injected fresh tension into alliance dynamics.

As the 2026 Assembly battle looms, this single signature may well have altered more than just one party’s fortunes. It has redrawn the coalition’s internal balance, signalled the DMK’s negotiating priorities, and set the stage for sharper bargaining in the months ahead.