DMK to Contest 164 Seats in Tamil Nadu Polls, MK Stalin from Kolathur

IN SHORTDMK will contest 164 of 234 seats in the Tamil Nadu Assembly elections, leaving 70 for allies. Congress gets 28 seats as the principal ally, followed by...

Seat-Sharing Announcement

DMK president and Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin announced the alliance seat-sharing for the 2026 Tamil Nadu Assembly elections. The DMK will contest 164 out of 234 seats, allocating 70 seats to its allies. Stalin released the DMK candidate list along with the arrangement in Chennai.

Alliance Breakdown

Congress emerges as the principal ally with 28 seats. Other partners include Desiya Murpokku Dravida Kazhagam (10 seats), Viduthalai Chiruthaigal Katchi (8), Communist Party of India (5), Communist Party of India (Marxist) (5), and Marumalarchi Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (4). Smaller parties will share the remaining seats.

Key Candidates

MK Stalin will seek re-election from Kolathur. Deputy Chief Minister Udhayanidhi Stalin has been renominated from Chepauk-Tiruvallikeni. Several sitting ministers retain their constituencies, including Senthil Balaji shifting to Coimbatore South, KN Nehru from Tiruchi West, and others from Madurai Central, Mannargudi, Dindigul, Tiruverumbur, and Thoothukudi.

Candidate Profile

DMK's 164 candidates include over 60 first-timers. The list features 29 lawyers, 17 engineers, 15 doctors, and seven PhD holders. Women candidates have been given 18 seats. The mix aims to balance experience with fresh faces across regions.

Opposition Arrangement

The NDA bloc led by AIADMK will contest with AIADMK fighting 169 seats, BJP 27, PMK 18, and AMMK 11. AIADMK leader Edappadi K Palaniswami confirmed smooth talks for their alliance.

Election Timeline

The 234-member Tamil Nadu Assembly goes to polls in a single phase on April 23, 2026. Results will be declared on May 4. Puducherry polls are on April 9. DMK is set to release its manifesto on March 29.

TL;DR

DMK will contest 164 of 234 seats in Tamil Nadu Assembly elections.
70 seats allocated to allies, with Congress getting 28 as principal ally.
Other allies: DMDK (10), VCK (8), CPI (5), CPI(M) (5), MDMK (4).
MK Stalin to contest from Kolathur; Udhayanidhi Stalin from Chepauk-Tiruvallikeni.
DMK candidate list includes over 60 first-timers, 29 lawyers, 17 engineers, 15 doctors, 7 PhDs, and 18 women.
Stalin emphasised patient discussions for balanced alliance agreement.
NDA arrangement: AIADMK 169 seats, BJP 27, PMK 18, AMMK 11.
Key constituencies include Coimbatore South, Madurai Central, and several ministerial seats.
Manifesto to be released on March 29; polls on April 23, results May 4.
Alliance aims to consolidate votes across regions against NDA.