Chennai: The head of the Congress party in Tamil Nadu dismissed reports of a widening rift with the ruling DMK on Friday, announcing that formal seat-sharing negotiations for the upcoming 2026 Assembly elections will commence within a week.

K. Selvaperunthagai, president of the Tamil Nadu Congress Committee (TNCC), expressed confidence that the national party would secure its desired allocation of constituencies during the high-stakes bargaining process. The announcement comes amid public speculation that Congress is pushing for a larger share of power, including cabinet positions, within the state's secular democratic alliance.

"We are not exerting pressure on our ally. We will ask and get what we want, and the DMK will give (us)," Selvaperunthagai told reporters in Tiruvallur, roughly 45 kilometres from the state capital.

The comments follow a Wednesday meeting in New Delhi between DMK Deputy General Secretary Kanimozhi and Congress leader Rahul Gandhi. While sources described those talks as cordial, they did not result in a final agreement on seat numbers or the controversial proposal for a coalition government.

Addressing the Delhi meeting, Selvaperunthagai contrasted the optics of the alliance with those of the opposition. He took a swipe at AIADMK General Secretary Edappadi K. Palaniswami’s recent visit with Union Home Minister Amit Shah, alleging the former Chief Minister had met the BJP leader with his face "masked" to avoid public scrutiny.

"Unlike that meeting, Kanimozhi's meeting with our leader was straightforward and dignified," the TNCC chief said.

The alliance is entering the 2026 cycle following a successful 2021 campaign in which the DMK allotted 25 seats to the Congress. The party ultimately won 18 of those segments, contributing to the alliance's overall majority in the 234-member house. Reports suggest the Congress is now seeking between 38 and 45 seats, while the DMK has signalled it may only be willing to increase the allotment slightly to 30.

With inputs from PTI