In a move that could strengthen the opposition’s stance against the ruling BJP, the Congress high command has authorized senior party leader P. Chidambaram to finalize a seat-sharing agreement with the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) ahead of the upcoming Assembly elections in Tamil Nadu.
According to sources, party leader Rahul Gandhi has given his approval for Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge to proceed with the deal, following prolonged negotiations over seat allocation in recent weeks. Mr. Kharge has subsequently asked Mr. Chidambaram to seal the agreement with the DMK.
The alliance between the two parties appears set to gain momentum, as sources indicate that the DMK has offered 27 Assembly seats to the Congress. There is a possibility that this number could increase to 28, with the Congress also being allotted one Rajya Sabha seat as part of the broader understanding between the two allies.
This development marks a significant step towards formalizing the alliance, which has been under negotiations for quite some time. The elections in Tamil Nadu are expected to take place later this year, and the opposition’s united front could potentially pose a challenge to the BJP-led government at the state level.
