DMK-DMDK Seal Alliance for 2026 Tamil Nadu Assembly Elections, BJP Calls it DMDK's 'Wrong Decision'

Chennai: In a significant shift in the Tamil Nadu political landscape, the Desiya Murpokku Dravida Kazhagam (DMDK), founded by the late actor-turned-politician ‘Captain’ Vijayakanth, has officially joined the DMK-led Secular Progressive Alliance (SPA) ahead of the 2026 Assembly elections.

The deal was formalized on Thursday following a high-profile meeting at the DMK headquarters, 'Anna Arivalayam.' DMDK General Secretary and Vijayakanth's wife, Premalatha Vijayakanth, accompanied by party Treasurer LK Sudhish, met with Chief Minister and DMK President MK Stalin to confirm the partnership.

The Seat-Sharing Agreement

While formal election committees will fine-tune the specifics, sources said the alliance has settled on a formula that includes 7 Assembly (MLA) seats and 1 Rajya Sabha seat.

Premalatha Vijayakanth confirmed that the final announcement regarding specific constituencies will be made by Chief Minister Stalin.

"The reason behind joining hands with them is that all our DMDK district secretaries and the cadres decided that this is the time for us to form the alliance. Everyone said that they wanted us to go with DMK. I take their decision as my decision," she said in an exclusive interview with Republic.

Addressing the historical shift, given the DMDK’s past alliance with the AIADMK and Vijayakanth’s storied rivalry with the DMK, Premalatha pointed to the deep personal ties between the families of Vijayakanth and the late M. Karunanidhi.

"Everyone knows very well that for more than 45 years, Captain (Vijayakanth) and Kalaignar (Karunanidhi) were very good friends. Under his leadership only, our marriage happened in 1990 in Madurai. Their family and our family are very close," she told Republic.

She added that while alliance talks had occurred multiple times in the past, the timing had never been right until now.

"It should have been formed when Captain Vijayakanth was alive. Today, we have formed an alliance with DMK, and we are sure that our alliance will win more than 200 seats," she said.

CM Stalin on alliance with DMDK

Welcoming the DMDK into the fold, Chief Minister MK Stalin expressed immense joy over the new partnership, highlighting the "Dravidian Model" of governance.

"It brings me immense joy that the DMDK, founded by 'Captain' Vijayakanth, a man who held unwavering love for leader Kalaignar and was my dear friend, has joined the secular progressive alliance," Stalin said.

"I warmly welcome the capable General Secretary, my beloved sister Mrs. Premalatha Vijayakanth. Let us march together to ensure the continuation of the Dravidian Model government," he said.

‘Wrong decision’: BJP on DMK-DMDK alliance

The BJP has issued a statement regarding the recent political developments, asserting that the DMDK made a grave mistake by joining forces with the DMK.

"The late Vijayakanth would not forgive the party for this; he fought the DMK all his life," the statement stated.

BJP spokesperson Narayanan Thirupathy told Republic, “They have let down the legacy of Vijayakanth. It is a sad state of affairs. As long as Vijayakanth was alive, he stood with the BJP. This move is not right. One must also look at what Premalatha Vijayakanth has been saying over the last four years. Joining hands with the DMK suggests they do not care for the welfare of the state or the Tamil people; they are being selfish just to secure a few seats and a taste of power.”

Thirupathy further claimed that this shift would have no impact on the NDA or the Tamil Nadu Assembly elections.

"The NDA is very strong. Consequently, this alliance will not affect the NDA’s prospects or the upcoming elections. There is a significant anti-DMK sentiment in Tamil Nadu. Whoever joins the NDA at this time will benefit. DMDK will ultimately be the party most affected by this decision," he said.

2026 Election Context

The 234-member Tamil Nadu Assembly is set to go to the polls in the first half of 2026. The current political climate sees the DMK-led SPA looking to repeat its dominant 2021 performance, where the DMK won 133 seats individually and the alliance secured 159 seats total. The addition of the DMDK is seen as a strategic move to consolidate the "Captain" loyalist vote bank across the state.