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Ahead of the 2026 Tamil Nadu Assembly elections, the Congress has said that power sharing in a coalition government is necessary to effectively implement the promises made in its election manifesto.
Speaking to Asian News International (ANI) on Monday, December 22, Girish Chodankar, who heads the five-member committee formed to negotiate seat-sharing arrangements with the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK), said the party requires adequate time to prepare for the polls and identify suitable candidates.
“In Tamil Nadu, we have not been in power for the last 58 years. Yet, our cadres are highly motivated, working tirelessly and nurturing strong expectations,” he told ANI.
Responding to a question on power sharing in the 2026 elections, Chodankar said, “It is not about whether we are asking for power. We will constitute a full-fledged manifesto committee and present a clear vision for Tamil Nadu. To fulfil the promises made in the manifesto, it is essential for us to be part of the government.”
The Congress constituted the high-level committee in November amid persistent speculation about a possible alliance with actor-politician Vijay’s Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK).
Apart from Chodankar, the panel includes national leaders Suraj Hegde and Nivedith Alva, Tamil Nadu Congress Committee (TNCC) president K Selvaperunthagai, and Congress Legislature Party leader S Rajeshkumar.
“After DMK representatives came to Delhi and met our leaders, the Congress president constituted the committee to initiate negotiations with the DMK. Accordingly, we met Chief Minister MK Stalin and urged that the alliance be finalised by December 15,” he said.
“This would give our party sufficient time to identify candidates, select them, and prepare them to face the elections. Now, the ball is in the DMK’s court,” he added.