"We are not a party that bargains with DMK": VCK president Thirumavalavan

The meeting was attended by VCK President Thol. Thirumavalavan, along with the party's General Secretaries Rajkumar and Sindhanaichelvan. The discussion lasted for about half an hour.

After the meeting, Viduthalai Chiruthaigal Katchi (VCK) President Thirumavalavan said that the party participated in seat-sharing talks with the DMK ahead of the 2026 Tamil Nadu Assembly elections.

"We participated in seat-sharing talks with the DMK today. The 2026 Assembly general election is not an ordinary election. With a sense of responsibility to prevent right-wing forces from gaining a foothold, and with the determination to ensure 100 per cent victory for the secular progressive alliance, the Viduthalai Chiruthaigal Katchi, as a constituent of this alliance, shared its views in today's meeting with a strong sense of entitlement and commitment," he said.

He emphasised that the VCK is not negotiating for bargaining purposes but is focused on securing the success of the DMK-led alliance.

"We are not a party that bargains with the DMK. We believe that such a victory would be a victory for the people of Tamil Nadu and for social justice politics. With this understanding, we placed our views regarding power-sharing before them, and they listened to us with openness. The discussions were conducted in a cordial and constructive manner. There was no setback in the talks. We did not discuss specific constituencies. We have clarified that our share in power should be proportionate to our strength and our contribution," he added.

Thirumavalavan also said the party has requested one general constituency and two reserved constituencies in Puducherry ahead of the upcoming elections.

"We cannot disclose the internal matters of alliance discussions. As far as Tamil Nadu is concerned, Modi's tactics will not succeed. No matter how many times Modi visits Tamil Nadu and attempts to tarnish the DMK, such efforts will not take root in the state's political landscape. Tamil Nadu is different from other states. There is no space here for communal or caste-based politics. The people of Tamil Nadu will never permit politics of hatred, and there is a need to firmly uphold that," he said while speaking to reporters.

He further stated that while the VCK remains firm on power-sharing, the current political situation has not yet matured to accommodate it.

The 234-member Tamil Nadu Assembly will go to the polls in the first half of 2026, where the MK Stalin-led alliance will look to project the 'Dravidian Model 2.0' for a win against the BJP-AIADMK alliance.

Actor-turned-politician Vijay's entry with his Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK) is expected to turn the Tamil Nadu polls into a three-way contest.

In the 2021 polls, the DMK won 133 seats. Congress won 18, PMK won five, VCK won four, and others won eight seats. The Secular Progressive Alliance (SPA), led by DMK, which consisted of Congress, won 159 seats collectively. While the NDA won 75 seats, the AIADMK emerged as the largest party in the alliance with 66 seats. (ANI)