Alliance arithmetic unsettles rival fronts

Power-sharing talks ahead of the Tamil Nadu Assembly elections have entered a fraught stage, exposing strains within both principal alliances and injecting uncertainty into the state's political landscape.

- HD Bureau

Negotiations that once appeared routine have hardened into tactical standoffs, with the Congress pressing for a clearer share of authority within the DMk-led ruling front, while countervailing pressures within the AIADMK-BJP arrangement have raised questions about its durability.

Hovering between the two blocs is actor-politician Vijay’s Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam, an unaligned force that both sides are quietly assessing as a potential game-changer.The immediate flashpoint lies within the ruling alliance, where the Congress has intensified its demand for a defined power share rather than a symbolic electoral presence.

Senior Congress figures argue that their organisational footprint, though smaller than that of the DMK, remains critical in several urban and minority-dominated constituencies. They contend that seat allocation alone no longer reflects political realities and that a clearer understanding on ministerial representation and policy influence is essential for sustaining alliance cohesion through a full term.