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Chennai, Nov 23 (IANS) DMK ally Viduthalai Chiruthigal Katchi (VCK) is preparing to negotiate for significantly more seats with a special focus on general (unreserved) constituencies for the 2026 Tamil Nadu Assembly elections.
The party, which contested six seats in the last election, is aiming for a double-digit share this time as it looks to expand its political footprint beyond its core support base.
According to party insiders, the VCK plans to demand at least 12 seats from the DMK during the alliance discussions.
Leaders say the emphasis on more general constituencies is part of a long-term strategy to expand the party’s influence across all regions and accommodate the various democratic groups that have joined hands with the VCK in recent years.
In 2021, the VCK contested two general seats—Thiruporur and Nagapattinam—and won both. Leaders say these victories underline the party’s growing acceptance among non-Dalit communities.
However, the party lost the Arakkonam and Vanur reserved seats to AIADMK.
The new interest among candidates for general constituencies has strengthened the party’s internal assessment that it can perform well beyond the reserved constituencies.
VCK leaders say the party has previously fielded a mix of Dalit and non-Dalit candidates, especially during the 2016 assembly elections when it contested 25 seats under a different alliance arrangement.
Despite speculation in political circles that the DMK may cut the number of seats allotted to its allies, the VCK is confident that its share will increase rather than fall.
VCK general secretary and Member of Parliament, D. Ravikumar, commented that the party considers the alliance with the DMK necessary and will stand firmly with it, warning that any weakening of the alliance will only help the BJP.
As part of its preparations, the VCK is expected to seek general constituencies such as Bhuvanagiri, Shozinganallur, Tiruvallur and Mailam, apart from reserved seats such as Kallakurichi, Sholavandan, Sirkazhi and Harur.
Sinthnai Selvan, leader of the party in the Legislative Assembly, highlighted that inspired by the leadership’s persistent call for caste annihilation, a large number of non-Dalit youth have joined the VCK in recent years.
He said the party should create political space for these young members and continue its efforts to transform Dalit politics by moving beyond identity-centric issues and having a stronger voice in mainstream political debates.
Another senior leader pointed out that VCK’s sustained advocacy for OBC welfare has helped broaden its support base, leading to the party achieving a high strike rate in the last assembly elections.
–IANS
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