In preparation for the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) and the Indian National Congress (INC) have concluded their constituency allocation in Tamil Nadu. The DMK, aiming to replicate its previous electoral success, has forged alliances with various regional parties, while the Congress has retained significant constituencies from its previous contest.
Tamil Nadu Assembly Polls: DMK-Congress Seat Sharing Talks Begin Today
Congress to begin the talks with 50 seats while DMK keen on nothing more than 25 to Congress and single digits to other allies ! https://t.co/1StyPuNLRu
— Arvind Gunasekar (@arvindgunasekar) February 25, 2021
Under the agreement signed between DMK President M.K. Stalin and Tamil Nadu Congress Committee (TNCC) President K. Selvaperunthagai, the Congress will contest in ten parliamentary constituencies as part of the I.N.D.I.A. bloc led by the DMK. These constituencies include Tiruvallur (SC), Krishnagiri, Mayiladuthurai, Cuddalore, Karur, Sivaganga, Virudhunagar, Tirunelveli, Kanniyakumari, and the Puducherry Parliamentary seats.
Complete list of seat-allocation:
DMK:
- 1. Chennai North
- 2. Chennai South
- 3. Chennai Central
- 4. Sriperumbudur
- 5. Arakkonam
- 6. Kancheepuram (SC)
- 7. Tiruvannamalai
- 8. Vellore
- 9. Dharmapuri
- 10. Kallakurichi
- 11. Salem
- 12. Pollachi
- 13. Nilgiris (SC)
- 14. Coimbatore
- 15. Theni
- 16. Arani
- 17. Perambalur
- 18. Erode
- 19. Thanjavur
- 20. Tenkasi (SC)
- 21. Thoothukudi
Congress:
- 22. Tiruvallur (SC)
- 23. Krishnagiri
- 24. Karur
- 25. Cuddalore
- 26. Mayiladuthurai
- 27. Sivaganga
- 28. Virudhunagar
- 29. Kanniyakumari
- 30. Tirunelveli
- 31. Puducherry
Viduthalai Chiruthaigal Katchi (VCK):
32. Chidambaram (SC)
33. Villupuram (SC)
Communist Party of India (Marxist):
- 33. Madurai
- 34. Dindigul
- Communist Party of India
- 36. Tiruppur
- 37. Nagapattinam (SC)
MDMK:
- 38. Tiruchirapalli
Kongunadu Makkal Desiya Katch (KMDK):
- 39. Namakkal (on Rising Sun symbol)
Indian Union Muslim League (IUML)
- 40. Ramanathapuram
Notably, the Congress has retained six constituencies it contested in the 2019 elections, with three replacements: Arani, Theni, and Tiruchi being substituted with Cuddalore, Tirunelveli, and Mayiladuthurai, respectively. The shift in constituencies reflects strategic considerations and discussions between the allied parties.
However, tensions arose within the alliance, particularly in constituencies like Arani, where DMK office-bearers expressed dissatisfaction with the incumbent Congress MP, M. K. Vishnu Prasad, and his family’s prolonged dominance in the region. This dissatisfaction led to demands for a DMK
Furthermore, there have been calls within the Congress to introduce fresh faces instead of relying on established veterans and family members of influential party leaders. These internal deliberations underscore the evolving strategies and dynamics within both the DMK-led alliance and the Congress party itself.
Meanwhile, the party has also finalized seat-sharing agreements with six regional allies, including the Viduthalai Chiruthaigal Katchi (VCK), Marumalarchi Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (MDMK), and others. Negotiations with the Congress are ongoing, with the party offering nine seats, consistent with the previous election, while the Congress won eight seats.
Overall, the allocation of constituencies signals a blend of continuity and strategic recalibration within the electoral alliances in Tamil Nadu, setting the stage for a keenly contested Lok Sabha polls in 2024.
