NEW DELHI: After days of protracted negotiations marked by visible tension and hard bargaining, the Congress and the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) on Monday finalised their seat-sharing arrangement for the April 9 Puducherry Assembly elections, with the Congress set to contest 16 seats and the DMK 14.Confirming the development, the DMK said, “Seat sharing for the Puducherry Assembly Elections has been finalised; Congress to contest on 16 seats and DMK on 14 seats.”The agreement brings to a close a high-stakes tussle between the alliance partners over their respective shares in the Union Territory’s 30 directly elected Assembly seats, even as the clock ticks down to polling day.

Talks marked by friction

The negotiations had stretched over several days, with both sides staking aggressive claims. The Congress had pushed for a significantly larger share of 21 seats—leaving just nine for the DMK—while the DMK held firm on a demand for at least 15 seats, citing its stronger performance in the last Assembly elections.The back-and-forth underscored simmering tensions within the alliance, with neither side willing to easily уступ ground in a politically crucial contest.

A look at past seat-sharing and performance

In the 2021 Assembly elections, the Congress had contested 14 seats while the DMK fielded candidates in 13 constituencies. Two junior allies were accommodated with one seat each, and an independent candidate rounded out the alliance’s arrangement.However, the results tilted decisively in favour of the DMK. The party won six seats, while the Congress managed to secure only two. This performance not only boosted the DMK’s standing within the alliance but also enabled it to claim the post of Leader of the Opposition in the Assembly under the leadership of M.K. Stalin.With Puducherry’s Assembly comprising 33 members—30 elected and three nominated by the Centre—the DMK’s relatively stronger showing in 2021 became a key factor shaping its negotiating stance this time.

Alliance’s rollercoaster trajectory

The Congress-DMK alliance has had a fluctuating electoral journey in Puducherry. The two parties first joined hands in 2006, five years after being part of rival fronts. In that election, they fielded 16 candidates from the Congress and 11 from the DMK, while allocating three seats to junior allies, and went on to sweep to power.They repeated a similar arrangement in 2011, with the Congress contesting 17 seats and the DMK 10. However, the alliance lost that election to the AINRC-AIADMK combine.In 2016, the partners expanded their contest to all 30 seats—21 for the Congress and nine for the DMK—and successfully reclaimed power in the Union Territory.The 2021 elections, however, proved to be a setback, with the AINRC-BJP alliance emerging victorious despite the Congress-DMK combine putting up a united front.

Leverage and pushback

Given its relatively better strike rate in 2021, the DMK entered the current negotiations with greater leverage and was seen as unlikely to concede significant ground to a partner that underperformed in the last polls.At the same time, the Congress’s insistence on a larger share reflected its intent to retain primacy within the alliance in Puducherry, where it has traditionally been a dominant force.

Countdown to polling day

With the seat-sharing formula now sealed, both parties are expected to quickly shift gears towards finalising candidates and coordinating campaign efforts, as the window before polling narrows.Voting for the Puducherry Assembly elections is scheduled for April 9, while counting of votes will take place on May 4. The results will be declared alongside those from key states including Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Assam and West Bengal, making it part of a broader, high-stakes electoral cycle.While the agreement averts a potential rupture in the alliance, the hard-fought negotiations highlight underlying strains that could shape campaign dynamics in the days ahead.