Chennai, March 4 : The Congress high command has authorised senior party leader P. Chidambaram to finalise the long-awaited seat-sharing agreement with Tamil Nadu's ruling Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) for the upcoming elections.

The decision was taken following consultations among the partyâ??s top leadership in New Delhi, signalling that the Congress leadership is keen to conclude the negotiations quickly and move forward with election preparations in the state.

According to party sources, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi has conveyed his approval for the arrangement to party President Mallikarjun Kharge. Acting on that approval, Kharge has entrusted Chidambaram with the responsibility of holding the final round of discussions with the DMK leadership and sealing the alliance agreement.

The move effectively places the experienced former Union Minister at the centre of negotiations with Chief Minister M.K. Stalinâ??s party, which heads the ruling alliance in Tamil Nadu.

Sources familiar with the discussions indicated that the DMK has so far offered 27 Assembly constituencies to the Congress as part of the alliance formula. However, there are indications that the number may be slightly increased to 28 seats in the final agreement to accommodate the Congress leadershipâ??s demands. In addition to the Assembly seats, the Congress is also likely to receive one Rajya Sabha seat as part of the broader political understanding between the two allies.

Party insiders say the Rajya Sabha berth is expected to be a key component of the compromise formula designed to maintain equilibrium within the alliance.

Seat-sharing negotiations between the DMK and Congress had been continuing for several weeks and were marked by intense discussions, with the Congress initially seeking a larger share of constituencies.

The talks had raised speculation about potential strains within the alliance, which has been a central pillar of Tamil Naduâ??s ruling coalition. However, the latest development indicates that both parties are keen to preserve the partnership and avoid prolonged uncertainty ahead of the election schedule, which is expected to be announced soon by the Election Commission.

With the high commandâ??s authorisation now in place, party leaders expect the agreement to be finalised shortly, paving the way for the announcement of candidate lists and the start of coordinated campaign activities between the DMK and the Congress in the run-up to the elections.

/IANS