Seat negotiations strain alliance discipline for rival fronts

Seat-sharing talks ahead of the next Assembly election have exposed growing friction within both major political fronts, with allies in the DMK-led alliance and the NDA increasingly competing with one another for the same constituencies, complicating efforts to present a unified electoral strategy-Tensions have sharpened within the DMK-led front as multiple allies press claims over seats currently held by the DMK or by fellow partners.

- HD Bureau

For instance, Madurai North has emerged as a visible flashpoint after Congress MP Manickam Tagore publicly pressed the party’s case for the segment, which is now represented by DMK legislator G. Thalkapathy. The demand has unsettled local DMK units, which view Madurai North as politically sensitive and symbolically important given its voting history and organisational depth.