Chennai: Ahead of the 2026 Assembly elections in Tamil Nadu, the ruling Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) is considering expanding its Secular Progressive Alliance (SPA) by bringing in S. Ramadoss-led Pattali Makkal Katchi (PMK) and Premalatha Vijayakanth-led Desiya Murpokku Dravida Kazhagam (DMDK), ThePrint has learnt.
Chief Minister M.K. Stalin pitched the idea to alliance leaders at meetings at his residence Tuesday and Wednesday during his 50th wedding anniversary celebrations.
Speaking to ThePrint, a senior DMK leader privy to the developments said the plan to expand the alliance had been conveyed to alliance partners, including Viduthalai Chiruthaigal Katchi (VCK) led by Thol Thirumavalavan and Left parties in the state.
“The DMDK and PMK are among those political parties that had expressed interest in joining the SPA. However, our leader (Stalin) did not want to take a call on his own since it is also about bringing consensus with the alliance partners,” the senior DMK leader said, adding that the alliance was all about ideologically opposing the BJP, in power at the Centre and looking to make inroads into Tamil Nadu.
SPA partners, including the VCK, Congress and Left parties, however, remained tight-lipped about the discussions on expanding the alliance. DMK leaders also did not want to make anything official until things were more concrete. “It is natural to expand the alliance ahead of polls. Unless the talks are sealed, it is basic ethics to keep matters discrete as it is about trust between the political parties. Whatever the discussions be, the CM will take the final call on bringing in more parties,” T.K.S. Elangovan, DMK spokesperson, told ThePrint.
Tamil Nadu Congress chief K. Selvaperunthagai was of the view that it would be a boost to the alliance if new parties joined. “Every party is a value addition to the alliance in the fight against fascist BJP. We would welcome any party that joins the DMK-led alliance in Tamil Nadu,” he said.
At present, there are 10 parties in the SPA, including the Congress, VCK, CPI, CPM and Kamal Haasan’s Makkal Needhi Maiam (MNM). Political analysts in the state said the addition of more parties to the DMK-led alliance would be a challenging task not just for the alliance partners, but for the DMK itself, due to ideological differences and seat-sharing.
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Problems with expansion of DMK-led alliance
Any expansion of the SPA is not likely to be without difficulties. The VCK has already stated that it would not be part of any alliance which involves PMK or BJP. The senior DMK leader mentioned earlier maintained that VCK might not have a problem allying with Ramadoss.
“The rift was only with Anbumani Ramadoss and not his father S. Ramadoss. Still, the CM does not want to disrupt the existing alliance. Hence, he has sought the opinion of alliance party leaders,” he told ThePrint.
However, when asked about it, a senior VCK leader said the party would not accept the inclusion of PMK. “It goes against the ideology on which we have built our party, as well as our alliance. Hence, it is non-negotiable,” the leader said.
The development also comes at a time when senior and junior Ramadoss are at odds over reins of PMK. While Anbumani wants the party to join the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA), Ramadoss has been pushing for an alliance without the BJP.
The DMK hasn’t made any explicit overtures to the DMDK and PMK regarding joining the SPA. However, on 31 July, after Stalin was discharged from hospital after a brief illness, DMDK’s Premalatha met him at his residence and enquired about his well-being.
The DMDK has never allied with the DMK so far and was part of the AIADMK-led alliance during the 2024 Lok Sabha elections.
Asked about it, DMDK treasurer Sudheesh told ThePrint that they would announce their allegiance at a conference in Cuddalore in January 2026.
Regarding PMK, although the DMK has not held direct talks with the party, Selvaperunthagai had met Ramadoss at his Thailapuram residence on 27 June. Post the meeting, he told the media that he had invited the PMK founder to join the DMK-led alliance as he was not comfortable with the NDA.
The PMK was part of the NDA at the time of the 2024 Lok Sabha elections.
A herculean task
Political analyst N. Sathiya Moorthy said the first challenge that DMK would face with additional partners would be to convince the existing partners about their joining, since the SPA was formed to target “fascist ideology”.
“It is not just VCK which will be against adding the PMK, but also the Left parties, including the CPI and CPI(M). For the VCK, the addition of PMK would disrupt its vote bank in the northern districts where the two parties are arch rivals and both have a considerable vote share in the region,” he told ThePrint.
Analyst Raveendran Duraisamy said balancing seat-sharing demands would be problem for the DMK and that existing alliance partners would demand more seats in the assembly elections.
“VCK, CPI and CPM, which contested six seats each in the last assembly election, would demand at least 10 seats in the upcoming election. So, allocating seats to the new parties would mean that DMK would have to reduce the number of seats it contests itself, but that might harm it post results. Hence, the DMK would like to at least retain the number of seats it had contested in 2021,” he said.
(Edited by Nida Fatima Siddiqui)
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