Madurai (Tamil Nadu) [India], February 19 : Marumalarchi Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (MDMK) chief Vaiko said on Thursday that the upcoming Tamil Nadu Assembly election will witness a close contest but expressed confidence that the DMK will secure a solo majority.
Addressing a press conference here, Vaiko said, "Opinion polls indicate that this (Tamil Nadu Assembly) election will be intense. My prediction is that DMK will win with a solo majority in the upcoming election, leaving no room for talks of a coalition government."
He also welcomed the decision of the Desiya Murpokku Dravida Kazhagam (DMDK) to join the DMK-led alliance. "I am very happy to hear the sweet news that DMDK has joined the alliance led by the DMK. We warmly welcome this development with great happiness. The secular progressive alliance led by the DMK, which was already strong, will become even stronger with this addition," Vaiko said.
Earlier in the day, DMDK General Secretary Premalatha Vijayakanth and party Treasurer LK Sudish met Tamil Nadu Chief Minister and DMK president MK Stalin at the party headquarters 'Arivalayam' in Chennai. After the meeting, Premalatha Vijayakanth said the two parties had sealed an alliance and that seat-sharing details would be finalised after discussions between their respective election committees.
"We have sealed an alliance with DMK. Our party cadres also wished for this alliance. The number of seats will be decided after both parties form election committees and hold talks on it," she said, adding that the alliance was confident of winning more than 200 seats.
Stalin welcomed the development and said the DMDK's entry into the Secular Progressive Alliance would contribute to the continuation of the Dravidian Model government.
Tamil Nadu's 234-member Assembly is scheduled to go to polls in the first half of 2026.
In the 2021 Assembly elections, the DMK won 133 seats, while its allies, including the Congress, secured additional seats, taking the Secular Progressive Alliance tally to 159. The AIADMK won 66 seats, and the NDA secured 75 seats collectively.