With 10 months to go for the Tamil Nadu Assembly elections, the Communist Party of India (Marxist) has said that it will push for a larger share of seats within the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) led alliance for the 2026 polls.
In an interview published in the party mouthpiece ‘Theekathir’, CPI(M) state Secretary P Shanmugam said that while the party values alliance unity, a more equitable seat-sharing arrangement is essential.
Praising the DMK for historically maintaining strong ties with its allies, Shanmugam stressed that the solidarity among secular parties must be preserved to defeat the AIADMK-BJP combine. However, he also made it clear that the CPI(M) would not accept the kind of compromises it was forced to make in the 2021 Assembly elections.
“In 2021, the number of seats allotted to the CPI(M) was the lowest in our alliance history,” he pointed out, suggesting that the party had accepted the limited number of seats reluctantly, prioritising the defeat of the AIADMK-BJP alliance over its own electoral strength.
“We accepted it for the sake of unity, but such compromises must not be repeated,” he warned.
He noted that the number of seats allotted to the CPI(M) in 2021 was the lowest in the party’s history of electoral alliances. “Such compromises should not continue,” he said, adding that any further concessions would only benefit the DMK leadership, and not the CPI(M) or the people of Tamil Nadu.
Shanmugam also tied the demand for more seats to a resolution passed during the CPI(M)‘s recent state conference, which called for a larger presence in the Assembly and greater visibility for Left-wing politics in the state.
“The people of Tamil Nadu need a strong Left voice in the Assembly,” he said, adding that the party is committed to contesting more seats in 2026.
The CPI(M) leader further urged the DMK government to expedite the fulfilment of its previous electoral promises. He stressed the need for steps to address issues faced by workers, farmers, and the middle class, adding that fulfilling these assurances is crucial for the DMK alliance to defeat the AIADMK-BJP alliance.
The CPI(M) leader also listed several key demands that the ruling DMK must address immediately. These included caste-based violence, strict action against sexual violence, employment issues, and resolving the long-pending Panchami land issue by removing encroachments and handing over the land to rightful beneficiaries.
“Delivering on these promises is not only important for governance but also critical for winning the trust of the people again,” Shanmugam said. “Only then can we ensure a decisive victory for the secular alliance and prevent the resurgence of the AIADMK-BJP forces,” he said.
It may be noted that the CPI(M) was given 40 seats and won a seat under the Marumalarchi Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (MDMK) led alliance in 1996; won six seats out of eight under the AIADMK led alliance in 2001; and won nine seats out of 13 under the DMK led alliance in 2006.
In 2011, the party won 10 seats out of 12 under the AIADMK led alliance; secured none of the seats out of 25 under People’s Welfare Front alliance in 2016; and four among six seats under the DMK led alliance in 2021.
With alliance negotiations likely to begin in the coming months, Shanmugam’s statements are seen as an early positioning move by the CPI(M) in the run-up to 2026.
His remarks come amid similar demands from other DMK allies, including the Congress, VCK, and MDMK, all of whom have expressed their intent to contest more seats in the upcoming polls.
With inputs from IANS.