CHENNAI: The seat-sharing negotiations in the DMK-led alliance may have reached the final stages ahead of the upcoming Assembly elections, but the ruling party is in for fresh surprises every day.
The Congress party, which has sealed its deal, has now submitted a demand on the list of preferred constituencies, many of which are currently held by DMK ministers and sitting MLAs, triggering fresh friction between the allies.
The Congress party has submitted a list of 39 preferred constituencies, selected by Tamil Nadu in-charge Girish Chodankar, many of which in the capital city would be tough to meet, as they would upset the constituencies cultivated by the ruling party leaders. The Padmanabhapuram constituency, held by Minister Mano Thangaraj, and Raja Kannappan's Muthukulathur in Madurai Central, represented by Minister Palanivel Thiaga Rajan, are among the constituencies in the clashes.
The fresh move by the Grand Old Party has complicated ongoing negotiations. A meeting of the Congress election committee, chaired by AICC in-charge Girish Chodankar, was held in Chennai on Friday to finalise the list of 39 seats to be submitted to the alliance leader, the DMK.
The Congress leadership has been insisting that constituencies with strong prospects of winning be allocated to them, rather than strictly adhering to a quota-based distribution. However, DMK is reluctant to part with seats held by its ministers and incumbents, leading to a stalemate.