DMK Releases Manifesto, Finalizes Seat Sharing For Tamil Nadu Assembly Elections

CHENNAI — Major political parties in Tamil Nadu have finalized their strategies and candidate lists ahead of the upcoming Assembly elections, with the ruling DMK unveiling its seat-sharing arrangement and manifesto promises. The developments mark a critical phase in the campaign leading up to the polling date, as alliances solidify and key leaders confirm their constituencies.

This report on the election developments was originally reported by India – Latest – Google News on 2026-03-29 13:12:00 under the headline “Assembly Election 2026 Live: DMK releases manifesto for upcoming Tamil Nadu polls – indiatoday.in”. Following this announcement, Chief Minister MK Stalin confirmed the distribution of constituencies among the DMK-led alliance partners, setting the stage for a contested election cycle.

DMK Alliance Seat-Sharing Arrangement

Tamil Nadu Chief Minister and DMK chief MK Stalin announced the deal in Chennai on Saturday, March 28, 2026. He confirmed that the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam will contest 164 of the 234 constituencies in the state. The remaining 70 seats have been allocated to its allies within the front. Addressing the media, Stalin dismissed concerns over any delay in finalising the alliance, stating that the time taken was necessary to hold patient discussions with partners to ensure a balanced agreement.

Out of the 70 seats allocated to DMK’s allies, the Congress has emerged as the principal component with 28 seats. The distribution among other partners includes the Desiya Murpokku Dravida Kazhagam, which has been assigned 10 seats. The Viduthalai Chiruthaigal Katchi will contest 8 seats, while the Communist Party of India and the Communist Party of India (Marxist) have each been allocated 5 seats. The Marumalarchi Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam will share 4 seats, along with smaller parties sharing the remaining seats in the pact.

Key Candidate Nominations

As per the seat-sharing pact and the list of DMK candidates released by Stalin, the Chief Minister will seek re-election from Kolathur. Deputy Chief Minister Udhayanidhi Stalin has been renominated from Chepauk–Tiruvallikeni, also known as Triplicane. These nominations reinforce the party’s hold over key Chennai constituencies. Senior DMK leader TR Baalu earlier addressed the press on the finalisation of constituencies.

Several high-profile constituencies have drawn attention regarding candidate shifts. In Coimbatore South, Minister Senthil Balaji shifts from Karur, making it a key urban battleground. The release of the party’s list of candidates includes those for key constituencies in Chennai, ahead of the Tamil Nadu Assembly elections.

DMK Manifesto Promises

Alongside the seat-sharing announcement, the DMK has outlined key welfare schemes in its poll manifesto. The party has promised Rs 2,000 for women as part of its welfare commitments. Additional promises include a pension hike for beneficiaries and the provision of laptops to students. These measures aim to bolster the party’s social welfare profile as it seeks another term in power.

MDMK Manifesto and Prohibition Stance

Within the alliance, the Marumalarchi Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (MDMK) has reiterated its stand in favour of total prohibition, a demand not shared by other constituents of the DMK-led front. In its manifesto released on Tuesday, March 17, 2026, by party general secretary Vaiko, the MDMK said Tamil Nadu should be free from liquor and other drugs which are responsible for the degeneration of youth.

Vaiko undertook a 1,500-km walk to highlight the issue of alcohol and drugs. The manifesto noted that alcohol had destroyed the lives of young people, while drugs smuggled into the State through sea routes had severely affected students. The party stated it will urge the State and Union governments to strengthen border controls to prevent the smuggling of drugs.

According to the document, drinking habits among youth was one of the causes of crimes against women. The party said it will take steps to enact a law providing for life imprisonment for such offenders, as they are unfit to live in civil society. Advocating measures to strengthen public transport, which it said was incurring a daily loss of ₹18.9 crore, the party proposed the creation of a social obligation fund to support free bus travel for women. It also suggested direct budgetary reimbursement for social welfare schemes and the introduction of more electric vehicles.

Opposition and NDA Developments

On the opposition side, the AIADMK has been active in finalizing its candidate list. The party on Thursday released its second list of 127 candidates for the Tamil Nadu Assembly polls, taking its total tally to 150 so far. The DMK was quick to respond with its own list following these developments.

Significant changes are also occurring within the NDA alliance structures. Actor-director Sundar C is set to make his electoral debut in the April 23 Tamil Nadu Assembly elections. He is likely to be the PNK’s candidate from Madurai Central under the NDA alliance. This entry marks a new development in the constituency landscape as parties field high-profile names.

Election Timeline

The upcoming Tamil Nadu Assembly elections are scheduled for April 23. With the manifestos released and seat-sharing agreements finalized by the major fronts, the campaign is set to intensify across the 234 constituencies. Both the ruling alliance and the opposition have now placed their key leaders and policy promises before the electorate.