Congress Eager To Close Alliances In Poll-Bound Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Assam
Party managers said the Congress was pursuing alliance talks aggressively, but was also focusing on building larger Opposition unity to take on the NDA.
Published : February 28, 2026 at 5:24 PM IST
New Delhi: The Congress is aggressively trying to close seat-sharing talks with its allies in poll-bound Kerala, Assam and Tamil Nadu, but is keeping larger Opposition unity in mind to take on the NDA. Elections in these states will be held in April, and an announcement is likely in the first week of March.
Tamil Nadu
The DMK-led alliance, of which the Congress is a part, directly fights the NDA in Tamil Nadu, while in Assam, the Congress leads the opposition alliance to take on the NDA. In Kerala, where the NDA is still trying to find a foothold, the Congress-led UDF is engaged in a direct fight with the CPI(M)-led LDF.
Congress insiders said every election throws up new challenges, so alliances have to be forged keeping in mind its own interests, even as it anchors the Opposition grouping in Assam and Kerala. In Tamil Nadu, where the Congress has been a junior ally to regional major DMK, it is set to negotiate hard for a better deal in 2026.
A four-member Congress panel, led by AICC in-charge Girish Chodankar, opened seat-sharing talks with DMK leaders on February 28, amid reports that the regional major was unwilling to accommodate the Congress’s two key demands: Around 25 of the 234 Assembly seats, and a share in power.
Insiders say the AICC in charge of organisation, K C Venugopal, had met CM M K Stalin on February 22, and demanded 45 seats, while hinting that the Congress may step down from its demand of a power-sharing agreement. The demand includes the 25 seats the Congress had contested in 2021 (it had won 19), plus 20 of the 40 seats the DMK had lost in then. However, the DMK is not willing to give more than 25 seats.
“Everything will be clear only after the talks conclude. The talks were cordial,” Chodankar told ETV Bharat.
Assam
In Assam, the Congress has forged an alliance with the Left parties, Raijor Dal, Assam Jatiya Parishad, All Party Hill Leaders Conference (APHLC) and Jatiya Dal-Asom (JDA), to take on the NDA. Congress Legislative party leader Debabrata Saikia is leading the seat-sharing talks with the allies.
Already, Akhil Gogoi's Raijor Dal has demanded 15 seats, whereas the Congress is willing to give it only 5-6. The party's managers said Congress plans to contest around 100 seats, leaving the remaining 26 for the allies. But the latter want more.
In 2021, the Congress could win just 29 seats, against 60 by the BJP. This time, it hopes a well-knit alliance can turn the tables on the NDA.
"Alliances will be decided soon," AICC secretary in-charge of Assam Manoj Chauhan told ETV Bharat.
Even as Assam seat-sharing is being negotiated with the allies, the Congress Central Election Committee, chaired by party chief Mallikarjun Kharge and Leader of Opposition (LoP) in the Lok Sabha, Rahul Gandhi, met online on February 27. To grab an early advantage, the CEC discussed around 40 seats in Assam and cleared the names of nominees for around 30, which will be announced soon after the Election Commission declares the poll dates.
Kerala
The party's CEC is likely to meet again on March 1 to clear more such names for seats in Kerala, where the Congress plans to contest around 100 of the 140 Assembly seats. There too, the names will be announced after the poll dates are out.
“The UDF alliance is strong in Kerala. Yet, seat-sharing will have to be discussed to clarify specifics. We hope to conclude that exercise early,” AICC secretary in charge of Kerala, P V Mohan, told ETV Bharat.
The UDF comprises the Congress, IUML, Kerala Congress (Joseph), RSP, and smaller regional parties. The UDF has been in the opposition since 2016.
This follows the visit of Rahul Gandhi and Wayanad MP Priyanka Gandhi Vadra to her Parliamentary constituency, where the two leaders reviewed poll preparations with state functionaries. “We are holding district-wise reviews to assess the state of readiness of local teams for the upcoming polls,” AICC secretary in-charge of Kerala, B M Sandeep, told ETV Bharat.
Congress insiders said that while the MPs will not be allowed to contest in Kerala Assembly elections, the rule may be relaxed in Assam, where the party may field Lok Sabha MPs Gaurav Gogoi and Rakibul Hussain from Jorhat and Dhubri Assembly seats, respectively. Gogoi is the state unit chief, while Hussain is a popular leader of the Muslim community in the northeastern state.
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