MK Stalin, EPS buy time on pitting Seeman against TVK

CHENNAI: NTK chief coordinator Seeman's willingness to contest the Ambasamudram by-election as a common candidate, if the DMK and AIADMK agree to back him, has opened up an intriguing political possibility, with neither Dravidian major outright rejecting the proposal.

While DMK president MK Stalin and AIADMK general secretary Edappadi K Palaniswami (EPS) have said they could consider the matter after the by-election schedule is announced, their responses have sparked speculation about a broader opposition understanding against the ruling Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK).

The discussion gained traction during the Thevar guru puja at Pasumpon in Ramanathapuram district. After paying floral tributes at the memorial, Stalin was asked about Seeman's proposal. He said the party could look into it once the by-election dates were announced.

Seeman, who had first expressed his willingness to contest as a common candidate, reiterated that he was ready to enter the fray if both the DMK and AIADMK agreed to support him. He also expressed confidence that, if elected, he would develop Ambasamudram into the best constituency in the State.

Speaking to DT Next, political analyst and assistant professor at a private university Dr Sunilkumar VM said Seeman might be an acceptable choice for both Dravidian majors, but neither party would easily cede political space to him.

He described Stalin's response as part of the DMK's by-election strategy. After the recent by-elections in Dharapuram and Maduranthakam, the DMK is keen to show it remains politically relevant and a force to reckon with in electoral contests, he said.

The AIADMK, too, is unlikely to readily accept Seeman as a common candidate, particularly as the party would prefer to contest Ambasamudram independently, he said. Having gradually lost ground in southern Tamil Nadu in recent years, the AIADMK would be keen to show it still commands a sizeable vote base in the region. He added that it could also consider fielding an AMMK candidate to consolidate votes from the Mukkulathor community.

Sunilkumar also pointed out that Nadars account for around 8 per cent of the electorate in Ambasamudram, making the community's voting pattern a factor in assessing Seeman's electoral prospects.

While Stalin's and Palaniswami's responses have left the door open for discussion, an electoral understanding among the opposition parties against the TVK remains a distant possibility. If such a broader political alignment materialises, it is more likely to take shape ahead of the 2031 Assembly elections than around the Ambasamudram by-election, the analyst said.