Key Highlights
- Lakshmi Narayanan The recent discourse on the Congress party’s open demand for a share in power in the event of the DMK-led front’s victory in the 2026 Assembly election saw the national party’s functionary making a claim that if it were not for his party’s presence in the coalition during the 2021 Assembly elections, the Dravidian major would not have won in 16 seats and secured a majority on its own.
- The claim has been made on the basis of the Congress’ performance in the 2014 Lok Sabha polls, wherein it contested on its own.
- At that time, the national party polled 4.32% of votes polled across the State with a higher share (8.2%) in the southern districts.
- Of the 16 constituencies in question, five each are in the northern and southern districts; four in the western; and the remaining two in the central parts (popularly called the Cauvery delta) of the State.
- Of these seats, the DMK won six during the 2016 Assembly election when it revived its tie-up with the Congress.
