Seats: DMK to talk tough with Congress

The TNCC might be seriously disappointed if it expects the Dravidian giant to generously allot seats for the ensuing civic elections, as it did for the Assembly election. 

It is clear that the DMK does not want to even apportion the 18 per cent seats it had allocated to Congress in last local body electiona. In accommodating Vasan’s TMC (Tamil Maanila Congress), Anna Arivalayam has convincingly demonstrated its intentions to cadre as well as Congress, that it would take the lion’s share (of seats) this time. 

The DMK leadership has advised its minor allies MMK, IUML and Puthiya Tamizhagam to discuss seat identification locally with DMK district secretaries. Even a few sceptical cadre got their fears allayed after seeing the timing of Stalin-Vasan and Karunanidhi-Thirunavukkarsar meeting.

DMK insiders told DTNext that the TNCC chief’s visit to Gopalapuram was deliberately fixed on the same day Stalin had granted audience to GK Vasan. 

“Last assembly election, DMK allotted 25 per cent seats to its allies, but their strike rate was only five per cent. The Congress won a fifth of its seats, whereas DMK won over 50 per cent of seats it had contested against the AIADMK head on. That being the fact, if 10 seats are allotted to Congress, the DMK would suspect that eight would be easy picking for AIADMK,” says political commentator Ravindran Duraisamy. 

However, a few Congress optimists still claim that they were given ‘weak’ seats by DMK in Assembly election and their party vice president Rahul Gandhi may advise them to go solo in civic polls if DMK allotment goes below the previous 18 per cent. What the Congress optimists had forgotten this poll season is that DMK is ready to offload Congress this time. Perhaps a seasoned politician in Thirunavukkarasar had rightly sensed the DMK mood and hence the statement, “DMK-Congress alliance is a settled issue. DMK general secretary K Anbazhagan has officially issued a statement asking his party district secretaries to consult allies and sent report of seats to him.” 

“DMK is sceptical of Congress strength and doubtful of their votes transferability. Congress is relevant in parliamentary election, but not in local body polls. Gifting 18 per cent of seats to Congress will be detrimental to alliance interest. So DMK will try to confine all allies within 10 per cent seats,” Doraisamy added.