Alliance talks between the TVK and NDA had all the makings of a grand bargain but unfolded in crossed wires. Armed with a ‘green signal’ to take on the ‘evil DMK’, the TVK arrived at the table asking for 90 seats and a two-and-a-half-year stint as CM, effectively a full banquet. The NDA, however, offered what it saw as a decent platter: 25 to 40 seats and a Deputy CM post. A senior DMK leader, who had earlier persuaded Left parties to scale down their seat demands, did little to conceal his irritation, taking a veiled swipe at the Congress’s perceived overconfidence. “Let us see how they win, and how many they actually win,” he remarked with a hint of sarcasm.

Source: Indian Express March 19, 2026 08:48 UTC