TVK Eyes 85 Pc Local Body Seats To Strengthen Grassroots Link Allies Seek Greater Share

(MENAFN- IANS) Chennai, Oct 28 (IANS) Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Vijay's Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK) is preparing to contest the local body elections, with its leadership seeking around 85 per cent of seats and proposing to leave the remaining 15 per cent to its allies, according to party functionaries.

The elections, likely to be in January 2027, are being viewed within the party as a test of its grassroots strength, particularly in rural areas, and its ability to draw support from women, workers, young people and other sections of the electorate.

However, the proposed allocation could pose a challenge during seat-sharing negotiations. Allies, including Congress and the Muslim League, are expecting a larger share of seats and opportunities to secure mayoral positions, the functionaries said.

Some alliance partners are also considering demands for control of certain municipal corporations and municipalities.

TVK, meanwhile, wants to retain control of all municipal corporations, making the distribution of leadership positions another potentially contentious issue. Senior party leaders and ministers are expected to hold discussions with the allies to persuade them to accept the proposed 15 per cent allocation.

The partners, citing their support for TVK's rise to power, are determined to press for greater representation.

Alongside the alliance negotiations, TVK has begun identifying candidates capable of taking on the networks of the DMK and AIADMK. Party functionaries said ministers, legislators and district secretaries would lead election preparations. Information is being gathered on constituencies where TVK has strong prospects, with local influence and sustained public engagement expected to guide candidate selection.

Positions in corporations, municipalities and panchayats are considered crucial to the party's future expansion. The leadership believes a stronger presence in these institutions would help consolidate its organisation and strengthen connections with communities.

Preference is expected to be given to people who have worked for the party and those with an established support base in their localities.

Functionaries acknowledged that CM Vijay's popularity alone might not be sufficient to secure victory in elections where candidates' accessibility and relationships with residents carry weight.

The party therefore intends to field candidates who maintain direct contact with people in rural and urban neighbourhoods and understand local concerns. Its preparations reflect an effort to combine CM Vijay's appeal with locally influential candidates, while managing allies' expectations over seats and civic leadership posts. The proposed seat-sharing formula remains subject to discussions with alliance partners.

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