CHENNAI: Senior Congress leader and former Union Minister P Chidambaram met Chief Minister and DMK president MK Stalin on Tuesday in an effort to break the deadlock over seat-sharing talks between the two parties. Even before finalising seat sharing with Congress, DMK on Tuesday evening allotted a Rajya Sabha seat to DMDK, which recently joined the alliance.
Sources said the DMK has offered to increase the number of Assembly seats allotted to the Congress from 25 to 27, along with one Rajya Sabha seat. The revised offer was reportedly made during an hour-long meeting at the Chief Minister’s camp office.
The development came on the day the DMK’s deadline for the Congress to respond to its initial offer of 25 Assembly seats and one Rajya Sabha berth ended. Chidambaram called on Stalin following instructions from the Congress high command. He was accompanied by TNCC president K Selvaperunthagai. DMK deputy general secretary Kanimozhi was present at the meeting.
According to sources, Stalin conveyed that the increase from 25 to 27 seats was being made as a gesture of goodwill. However, he is said to have ruled out the Congress demand for two Rajya Sabha seats, citing commitments to other allies.
Congress sources, however, maintained that the party is seeking around 35 Assembly seats. The decision to depute Chidambaram followed a coordination meeting attended by senior leaders Sonia Gandhi, Mallikarjuna Kharge and KC Venugopal.
After the first round of talks, KC Venugopal spoke to Congress MLAs on Sunday night when almost all of them backed continuation of the alliance, while stressing that the party should contest more seats.
Following Tuesday’s meeting, Chidambaram and Selvaperunthagai left without speaking to the media. Later, Selvaperunthagai said the talks with the DMK were continuing.
DMK spokesperson TKS. Elangovan said the party was keen on sustaining the alliance and that the Congress had been invited for further discussions on Wednesday.
DMDK treasurer LK Sudhish said its Rajya Sabha berth has been confirmed and that discussions on the number of Assembly seats and constituencies would be held next week. He added that general secretary Premalatha Vijayakanth would announce the party’s Rajya Sabha candidate on Wednesday.