"Time to discuss sharing of power, not just seats": Congress' Manickam Tagore puts party demand to DMK ahead of polls

Chennai (Tamil Nadu) [India], January 5 (ANI): As the political battle intensifies in Tamil Nadu ahead of the 2026 Assembly elections, Congress MP Manickam Tagore on Monday said that alliances remain the political reality in Tamil Nadu and asserted that the time has come to move beyond seat-sharing and initiate discussions on the sharing of power.
Reacting to a recent survey conducted by a private organisation, IPDS, on the political alliance landscape in Tamil Nadu, Tagore said the data did not fully capture the actual strength of the Congress party and several other political parties in the state.
https://x.com/manickamtagore/status/2008024834115276842?s=20
"Pointing to the recent private organisation ( IPDS ) survey taken on Tamil Nadu political alliance status. In Tamil Nadu, alliances are the political reality. Every party has its own base of voter support. I feel that this data does not fully reflect not only the Congress party's numbers but also those of other parties. However, no one can win in Tamil Nadu without an alliance. At the same time, the moment has arrived to discuss not just power, but the sharing of power as well, hasn't it?," post added on X
He said, "Time for share of power not only Share of seats."
Meanwhile, Tamil Nadu AICC in-charge Girish Chodankar said the Congress leadership had already initiated talks with the DMK and was hopeful of an early conclusion.
"We met the Chief Minister and the DMK President exactly one month back, on December 3. We requested that the alliance talks be sealed at the earliest. We are still hopeful that our alliance will be sealed with the DMK," Chodankar said.
Earlier, on Sunday, Congress MP Tagore tried to stir conflict in the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) alliance by stating that the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) is attempting to "take over and weaken" All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK).
Manickam Tagore blamed AIADMK General Secretary Edappadi K Palaniswami for turning "AIADMK into Amit Shah AIADMK"
"The BJP has hatched a conspiracy to take over and weaken the AIADMK. The AIADMK is now facing what is likely to be its last election, and Edappadi Palaniswami will be the AIADMK's last General Secretary. The credit for turning "AIADMK" into "Amit Shah AIADMK" goes to Edappadi Palaniswami," he said.
Manickam Tagore also suggested that there's a "factional feud" between former BJP Tamil Nadu chief K Annamalai and current BJP state chief Nainar Nagenthran, which "has reached a stage where it has become laughable."
"The factional feud between Annamalai and Nainar Nagendran has reached a stage where it has become laughable. In Tamil Nadu, any party that allies with the BJP will also face defeat..." he said.
Tagore also ruled out the possibility of actor and Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK) chief Vijay joining the NDA. "Vijay will not ally with the BJP. In Tamil Nadu, the DMK-led INDIA alliance has won continuously in four elections," he said, expressing confidence in the opposition alliance's prospects.
Tamil Nadu is scheduled to undergo the Legislative Assembly elections in 2026. (ANI)