Venugopal Meets Stalin To Break Deadlock In DMK-Cong. Talks

Venugopal, who arrived in Chennai along with Tamil Nadu in-charge Girish Chodankar and TNCC president K. Selvaperunthagai, declined to comment on the outcome of the meeting, telling reporters, “Wait and see.”

The meeting comes as the DMK has begun seat-sharing talks with its allies. After holding discussions with the Indian Union Muslim League (IUML), the DMK announced schedules for negotiations with parties including the MDMK, CPM, CPI and Manithaneya Makkal Katchi. However, dates for talks with the Congress and Viduthalai Chiruthaigal Katchi (VCK) have not yet been announced.

IUML national president K.M. Khader Moideen said the party had sought five seats but was offered two by the DMK. He said the offer would be considered before a decision is taken. IUML had contested three seats in the 2021 Assembly elections and lost all three.

The DMK is expected to finalise the schedule for talks with the Congress after resolving differences. It remains unclear whether the Congress will persist with its demand for power sharing.

The DMK has indicated its intent to contest at least 170 seats in the Assembly elections. In 2021, the MDMK, Left parties and VCK were allotted six seats each. The entry of new allies such as the DMDK and the presence of parties seeking a higher number of seats have added complexity to the negotiations.