"Seat-sharing with DMK to be announced soon": VCK leader SS Balaji

Chennai (Tamil Nadu) [India], March 21 : Viduthalai Chiruthaigal Katchi (VCK) MLA SS Balaji on Saturday said that the seat-sharing formula with the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) for the 2026 Tamil Nadu elections will be announced in a couple of days.
Recalling VCK's long-formed alliance with DMK, Balaji said Chief Minister MK Stalin is interviewing his party cadre and will announce the seat-sharing pact after the process is over.
Speaking to ANI, the VCK leader said, "This alliance is not a newly formed alliance or one that has been formed ahead of the elections. We have been travelling together for quite a few years. The situation here, the number of seats, everything is definite. It is not going to change in a single day. In that case, the talks happening now are not going to finalise things. Each party has its own set of wishes... At the end of the day, we will have to look into the larger interest of the party and cadres. Things will probably be announced in a day or two. The chief minister, the leader of this alliance, is carrying out the exercise of interviewing his party cadres, and this will be finished in a day or two."
The party has officially begun distributing and receiving willingness applications from party members interested in contesting as candidates.
Balaji added, "This is a very routine exercise. Whenever elections are around the corner, we need to get applications from the party functionaries who intend to contest in the elections. The party high command will decide, and our leader will decide who is being fielded in the elections. This process has started today. The process will go on until the 24th. Today, we are collecting applications from our party functionaries in nine districts. The application fee is fixed at Rs 5000 for all."
Founder-president of VCK, Thol. Thirumavalavan said that the seat-sharing pact with DMK will be announced once the ruling party provides the number of constituencies, which he described as a large process due to the joining of nearly 10 parties in the alliance.
"We will settle it amicably very soon. Before that, we have to get applications from the cadres who are willing to contest the forthcoming assembly elections across the state. From 234 constituencies, our office cadres are willing to apply. But it is not possible to get more seats to distribute among our cadres. Based on the numbers we get from the DMK alliance, we will decide later on. Nearly 10 new parties have joined our alliance. DMK has to accommodate everyone in this alliance," Thol. Thirumavalavan stated.
Tamil Nadu will go to the polls in a single phase on April 23, with counting scheduled for May 4. The current tenure of the 234-member state assembly ends on May 10.
The polls will be a contest between the ruling DMK-led alliance and the AIADMK and BJP-led NDA in the state. Actor-turned-politician Vijay has also thrown a hat in the ring by launching Tamilaga Vetteri Kazhagam.