Cong claims credit for DMK win in 2021

Congress has sharpened its bargaining position within the DMK-led front by publicly arguing that its organisational presence was decisive to the coalitions Assembly majority in 2021, a claim that has reopened debate over power-sharing expectations as preparations begin for the 2026 election.

- HD Bureau

The assertion, made by a national functionary, holds that without Congress candidates and votes in the alliance, the Dravidian major would have fallen short in 16 constituencies that proved pivotal to securing a majority on its own.

The argument has been framed around comparative electoral performance and geographic spread. Congress leaders point to the party's vote share when it contested the 2014 Lok Sabha election independently, polling 4.32% statewide with a stronger 8.2% concentration in southern districts.

Of the 16 seats cited as crucial in 2021, five each are located in the northern and southern belts, four in the western region, and two in the central Cauvery delta. The implication is that Congress's vote base, though limited in absolute terms, was _ strat egically placed in consti tuencies where margins were tight and alliance arithmetic mattered.