Published Mar 05, 2026 | 10:15 PM ⚊ Updated Mar 05, 2026 | 10:15 PM
AICC in-charge for Tamil Nadu Girish Chodankar.
Synopsis: AICC in-charge for Tamil Nadu Girish Chodankar, in a candid chat with South First, said the party had initially sought 41 seats as part of its seat-sharing negotiations with the DMK in the state for the upcoming Assembly polls, before accepting 28 and one Rajya Sabha seat after prolonged negotiations. He said the Congress also pressed for a 20 to 25 percent share in local bodies to give its cadres greater representation.
After prolonged negotiations, the DMK and the Congress have finalised their seat-sharing arrangement for the Tamil Nadu Assembly elections, with the Congress allotted 28 Assembly seats and one Rajya Sabha seat. However, the arrangement has not gone down well with all sections within the Congress party.
In an exclusive interaction with South First, All India Congress Committee in-charge for Tamil Nadu Girish Chodankar spoke about the negotiations with the DMK, the party’s expectations during the talks, the final settlement, the demand for a share in power at the grassroots level, and other political developments, including actor Vijay’s Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam.
Edited excerpts follow.
Q: I think everybody in the DMK is happy about the 28 plus one seats. What about you? It seems you are not very happy about it.
Girish Chodankar: It is not a question of being happy about what we got because the aspirations of our cadres and leaders were much higher. But when we come into an alliance, we have to make sacrifices, and many other parties also make sacrifices. So an alliance is another name for sacrifice.
By making sacrifices, everyone comes together for a common cause. We have done that. Our AICC leadership, especially our Congress President Kharge ji, finally decided that we should accept 28 seats and one Rajya Sabha seat. The moment he decides, we have to accept it.
So we cannot say that we are fully happy. At the same time, we cannot say we are fully unhappy either.
When we arrived at that figure, we also negotiated for a share in power at the local body level in towns, urban bodies and various government corporations.
Q: What is the number for local bodies?
Girish Chodankar: We are asking for somewhere between 20 to 25 percent.
Q: Are they okay with it?
Girish Chodankar: Yes, they have said that it is a genuine issue. We have shown them that our cadres are not getting anything. When we get seats, only some of our leaders are able to contest and become MLAs or MPs. Beyond that, there is nothing.
There should be some hope for our cadres because they have struggled by spending their own money and time for their entire lives. Some generations have passed without seeing power, yet they continue to work day in and day out.
So this alliance struggle was not for leaders. It was basically for our cadres.
You must have seen our Rajya Sabha candidate as well. He comes from a very ordinary family with no political background.
He has only ₹13,000 in his account. He has no land, no building and no gold. I told the same thing to the media: if you want to understand our candidate, look at his balance sheet and you will know what kind of candidate we have chosen.
Our entire struggle was to promote our cadres, groom them and develop them by giving leadership opportunities at the grassroots level so that they can eventually become state-level leaders.
Q: If 28 is not reasonable for the Congress, what would have been the reasonable number?
Girish Chodankar: Initially, based on the demands of our cadres and leaders, we suggested 41 seats. We asked for 41 Assembly seats. We did not include the Rajya Sabha seat in that number.
But the DMK explained their difficulties. They said more parties had been added to the alliance. The DMK itself is contesting fewer seats to accommodate others. They reduced seats for almost all alliance partners. In fact, they increased ours compared to the last election.
Q: Finally both parties settled for 28 plus one. But what if the DMK gives the Congress unwinnable seats in Tamil Nadu? What will the Congress do?
Girish Chodankar: Alliances work on mutual understanding. We have a strong survey team and many senior leaders. We already have a bank of constituencies.
We have identified the top 25 constituencies where we can contest strongly, then another set of 25 seats. We have categorised them into A, B and C.
We will focus mainly on A and B category seats because we want a strike rate of 100 percent.
Q: So 28 out of 28?
Girish Chodankar: Yes, we want to win all 28 seats. We do not want to lose even one seat. We will put our entire energy into those constituencies. In other constituencies we will help our alliance partners.
Q: Is the power-sharing demand still on the table?
Girish Chodankar: The power-sharing demand is mainly about local body governance and grassroots-level politics. At this stage we cannot talk about ministerial positions or anything like that.
Q: When the Congress is in power at the Centre, the DMK rightfully asks for a share in power. But when it comes to Tamil Nadu, they do not seem ready to consider it. Why?
Girish Chodankar: That is the policy of both Dravidian parties. We cannot single out the DMK. Both of them are more or less on the same page regarding this issue.
The question for us is how we can convince them and bring them to the table. We will cross that bridge when we come to it.
Q: Some of your alliance partners say that instead of developing your party at the grassroots level, the Congress is asking for more seats. What is your response?
Girish Chodankar: Nobody can say that. Our committee headed by Selvaperunthagai has worked extensively over the last year. Out of about 25,000 villages in Tamil Nadu, we have formed committees in around 22,000 villages.
We have nearly 60,000 booth-level agents, which is the highest according to our records. Booth committees have been constituted and we have a list of 1,000 active members in all 234 Assembly constituencies.
Nobody can say we are weak at the grassroots level.
Also, Rahul Gandhi’s acceptance across Tamil Nadu is among the highest for any national leader. If you conduct your own survey, you will see that he is one of the most accepted leaders in the state.
The Congress party exists in every nook and corner of Tamil Nadu. In any village you will find at least four or five people who proudly say they belong to a Congress family.
The Congress ideology connects strongly with Tamil Nadu. The Gandhi family’s connection with the state is also very strong.
No political party could survive for 58 years without being in power if it did not have grassroots strength.
We have not had a political positioning in the last five years. We were neither in the opposition nor in the ruling side. The DMK is the government, so we cannot oppose them, nor can we claim the achievements of the DMK government that go to the people.
Q: But parties like the CPI, the CPM and the VCK sometimes protest against the government’s decisions affecting people. We rarely see the Congress doing that against the DMK government.
Girish Chodankar: Yes, sometimes we miss it. There were some issues where people felt certain government decisions were problematic and the government later reversed them. In those cases, perhaps we should have protested more strongly on the ground. But I do not know what stops them.
Q: Some Congress leaders say the current leadership is too close to the DMK and behaves almost like the DMK.
Girish Chodankar: Sometimes relationships matter. Since we were part of the alliance in the last few elections and the parliamentary election, there will naturally be a working relationship.
People sometimes interpret that as being too close to the DMK. But our party leaders always follow our own party policies.
Q: Did actor Vijay’s Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam approach the Congress or Rahul Gandhi?
Girish Chodankar: Some of their leaders have openly appreciated Rahul Gandhi and acknowledged that the Congress is a strong party. Whether they approached us or not, I cannot say definitively.
There are many leaders in a political party. It is possible that discussions may have happened at different levels.
But I will not lie by saying nobody spoke to them. Politics requires honesty.
Q: But not Rahul Gandhi?
Girish Chodankar: Rahul Gandhi did speak to actor Vijay during the Karur incident. During the film controversy, the Chief Minister also condemned it and Rahul Gandhi also condemned it. We supported the stand that the BJP government was using authorities to suppress art and culture.
Q: Do you think Vijay will impact the vote base of the DMK-Congress alliance?
Girish Chodankar: In elections you cannot underestimate anyone. You must assume your opponent is strong and fight with full strength.
You cannot think they are weak. You must prepare as if they are strong. Only then can you achieve victory.
He will definitely make an impact.
Q: You have worked across many states. Is it difficult to negotiate with the DMK?
Girish Chodankar: I do not think so. It depends on how you negotiate and how convincingly you present your arguments.
When we went for negotiations with our team, we explained our concerns. They understood that our cadres have not been in power for 58 years and are suffering.
We made it clear that what we are asking is for our cadres and for the growth of our party. We also explained that our growth will contribute to their growth. Both parties will grow together.
Q: What about Puducherry?
Girish Chodankar: Negotiations for Puducherry will begin soon. Our leaders and the DMK leaders will sit together and finalise it.
Q: Who will get more seats there?
Girish Chodankar: It is usually the policy that in Tamil Nadu the DMK contests more seats, while in Puducherry the Congress contests more seats.
