Chennai, March 4 (NationPress) After extensive discussions and uncertainty, the ruling Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) and Congress officially finalized their seat-sharing pact for the forthcoming Tamil Nadu Assembly elections on Wednesday.

Under this agreement, Congress will contest 28 Assembly constituencies, an increase from the 25 seats it contested during the 2021 Assembly elections as part of their collaboration.

The pact also secures one Rajya Sabha seat for Congress, which is viewed as a crucial aspect of the broader political strategy to strengthen the alliance ahead of the vital Assembly elections.

The agreement was formalized at Anna Arivalayam, the DMK's headquarters in Chennai, by DMK president and Chief Minister M.K. Stalin alongside Tamil Nadu Congress Committee (TNCC) president K. Selvaperunthagai.

This deal was reached following several rounds of negotiations between the two parties, which faced a temporary deadlock regarding the number of seats and Congress's request for a more significant role within the coalition.

At one point, discussions appeared to be faltering as Congress advocated for an increased seat allocation.

The stalemate was ultimately broken when senior Congress leader P. Chidambaram intervened as a representative of the party’s high command and engaged in talks with Chief Minister Stalin on March 3.

After their discussions, both parties progressed towards a compromise that culminated in the signing of the agreement. Prior to the signing, a Congress delegation led by Girish Chodankar, All India Congress Committee (AICC) in-charge for Tamil Nadu and head of the party’s seat-sharing committee, met with the Chief Minister.

The delegation also included TNCC president Selvaperunthagai, Congress Legislature Party leader K. Rajesh Kumar, and other prominent leaders.

Following the signing of the agreement, Selvaperunthagai expressed satisfaction with the deal and confidence that the alliance would perform robustly in the upcoming elections.

He further stated that the candidate for the Rajya Sabha seat allocated to Congress would be announced later by the party's high command in consultation with the State leadership.

Chodankar mentioned that formal discussions regarding seat-sharing for the Puducherry Assembly elections would commence on March 5.

This agreement reinforces the longstanding alliance between DMK and Congress, which has persisted for over two decades since 2004.

Despite occasional disagreements, including a brief separation before the 2014 Lok Sabha elections, this partnership has remained a significant political force in Tamil Nadu, playing a crucial role in shaping the State’s electoral dynamics.