Congress' Manickam Tagore takes swipe at DMK over seat-sharing ahead of Tamil Nadu polls, says "power sharing is our right"

In a post on X, Tagore said that in 2021, the alliance contested 173 seats and won 133, and questioned its performance in constituencies where it lost. He stressed that power-sharing is essential and that a share in governance is the party's right, adding that the people would ultimately decide.

"In 2021, we contested in 173 places and won 133 .. What we're asking is about the places where you faced defeat. Power-sharing is essential. Governance share is our right. The people will decide," Tagore wrote on 'X'.

The Tamil Nadu assembly consists of 234 seats, of which the DMK-Congress alliance won 151 in the 2021 elections.

These remarks come amid ongoing seat-sharing talks between the Congress and the DMK ahead of the upcoming Tamil Nadu assembly elections.

Earlier in the day, Tamil Nadu Congress Committee (TNCC) president K Selvaperunthagai said on Friday that Alliance talks between the Congress and the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) are set to begin on February 22, asserting that the INDIA bloc remains united despite the BJP's attempts to "split the vote bank" by pulling someone out of the alliance.

Speaking to reporters in Chennai, Selvaperunthagai said negotiations with the DMK were progressing smoothly ahead of the upcoming Assembly elections in the state."

"The election process is going very, very smoothly. Negotiations are ongoing, and we are going to start on February 22. Nothing the BJP is thinking will happen. The BJP wants to pull someone out of the INDIA alliance to split the vote bank, but it will not happen. We are intact with the alliance," Selvaperunthagai told reporters.

When asked about TVK chief Vijay's recent remark that "SOP" in Tamil Nadu stands for "Stalin Operating Procedure" in Salem rally on Friday," Selvaperunthagai said similar procedures applied to all parties. (ANI)