The nomination filed by Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK) candidate K.A. Sengottaiyan from the Gobichettipalayam Assembly constituency for the April 23 election in Tamil Nadu, was initially put on hold during scrutiny on Tuesday (April 7, 2026) morning, but was accepted by Returning Officer S. Sivanandham in the evening.

A total of 44 nominations were filed in the constituency, and scrutiny commenced on Tuesday. When Mr. Sengottaiyan’s papers were taken up, agents of AIADMK candidate V.B. Prabhu raised objections, pointing to alleged discrepancies in the affidavit.

The Congress high command has authorised senior party leader P. Chidambaram to finalise the seat-sharing pact with the DMK on Wednesday (March 4, 2026) ahead of the upcoming Assembly elections in Tamil Nadu.

According to sources, party leader Rahul Gandhi has conveyed his approval to Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge to go ahead with the deal. Mr. Kharge, in turn, has asked Mr. Chidambaram to proceed and seal the agreement with the ruling Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK).

Sources indicated that while the DMK has, so far, offered 27 Assembly seats to the Congress, there is a possibility of the number being increased to 28. In addition, the Congress is likely to be allotted one Rajya Sabha seat as part of the broader understanding between the two allies.

The development is seen as a significant step towards formalising the alliance, which had witnessed prolonged negotiations over seat allocation in recent weeks.

Congress MP Manickam Tagore, one of the second-line leaders who had advocated power-sharing in the alliance talks with the DMK, on Wednesday (March 4, 2026) said individual differences should not overshadow the larger interests of the party.

“Individuals may have differences, but the party is bigger than any one of us,” he said, amid the latest developments where the Congress is set to sign a seat sharing pact with the DMK for the upcoming Assembly elections.

In a message posted on social media, Mr. Tagore emphasised the importance of discipline and unity within the organisation.

“When leadership decides, we accept it with discipline — because unity is our greatest strength,” he wrote.