Chennai , 03 March (H.S.):Senior Congress leader P. Chidambaram met Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M.K. Stalin on Monday amid rising tensions within the DMK–Congress alliance over seat-sharing for the upcoming Assembly elections.

The high-stakes meeting comes at a time when negotiations between the ruling Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) and the Indian National Congress (INC) have hit a stalemate, triggering speculation about the future of the alliance.

According to party sources, the Congress is pressing for more than 40 Assembly constituencies as part of the seat-sharing arrangement. The DMK, however, has remained firm in its position, offering only 25 seats — the same number allotted to the Congress in the 2021 Assembly elections — along with a Rajya Sabha berth. The ruling party leadership reportedly believes that conceding additional seats could weaken its prospects in what it considers a crucial electoral battle.

With the election schedule drawing closer, the absence of a consensus has intensified political discussions across Tamil Nadu. The impasse has also led to unease within Congress circles. A section of party leaders is said to have urged the high command to reassess its alliance strategy if talks fail to yield a favourable outcome.

Some leaders have even floated the idea of exploring alternative political alignments, including a possible understanding with actor-turned-politician Vijay and his party, the Tamilaga Vetri Kazhagam (TVK). These suggestions have reportedly been conveyed to Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi, adding another layer of complexity to the negotiations.

Further escalating the situation, the DMK is understood to have set March 3 as the deadline for the Congress to communicate its final stand. If no agreement is reached, the ruling party is expected to move ahead with its election preparations independently.

For the DMK, securing a decisive majority on its own is seen as vital for political stability and consolidating its long-term position in Tamil Nadu. As a result, it has shown little willingness to expand the Congress quota.

With Chidambaram’s meeting with Stalin widely viewed as a last-ditch effort to rescue the alliance, political observers are closely watching whether the two parties can bridge their differences before the deadline passes.

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Hindusthan Samachar / Arun Lakshman