CHENNAI: With the Congress unwilling to scale down its demand for more seats, the ruling DMK is holding to its March 3 deadline for its ally to convey a decision. Failing that, the party is likely to proceed with announcing nominees for the Rajya Sabha elections ahead of the March 5 deadline for filing nominations.
Sources in the party said it had conveyed its offer one Rajya Sabha seat and 25 Assembly seats to the Congress in the first round of talks on February 28. The Congress has sought 39 Assembly seats and two RS seats. In the 2021 Assembly polls, it was given 25 seats.
“If there is no response within the deadline, we will have no option but to go ahead with our candidates,” a senior DMK leader said.
The biennial elections to six Rajya Sabha seats are scheduled for March 16. With 132 MLAs in the Assembly, the DMK is in a position to secure four seats on its own. The AIADMK can elect two.
Sources indicated that party president MK Stalin has conveyed to senior leaders that the Congress should decide whether it intends to continue in the alliance. At the same time, the DMK is not inclined to push the national party out of the coalition. The party has also offered a Rajya Sabha seat to the DMDK, which recently joined its front.
A day after AICC in-charge Girish Chodankar rejected the DMK’s initial proposal, TNCC president K Selvaperunthagai on Monday said talks were progressing smoothly and dismissed speculation of a rift.
“During elections, it is common even for smaller parties to seek more seats. There is no confusion,” he said. He added that the Congress had placed its expectations and that Stalin would take a final decision.
On whether Congress will open channels with actor Vijay’s TVK, he said the central leadership had not authorised talks with the new outfit.