EPS discusses alliance impasse with senior leaders

CHENNAI: AIADMK general secretary Edappadi K Palaniswami held discussions with party deputy general secretary KP Munusamy and senior leaders on Thursday over the ongoing talks with alliance partners.

Sources in the party said that Palaniswami and senior leaders SP Velumani, P Thangamani and other leaders discussed in detail regarding the talks with the DMDK, which has been demanding a Rajya Sabha seat along with three to four Lok Sabha seats in the front.

Although two rounds of talks between the two parties were over, the talks were not moving forward. While the AIADMK was not in a position to allocate a RS seat, DMDK general secretary Premalatha Vijayakant dug her heels in and refused to give up her demand for the same.

The third round of the talks is expected to take place on Friday. Party insiders have also expressed disappointment for failing to clinch the deal with the PMK, which was drifting towards their former national ally - the BJP. “The PMK leader (Anbumani Ramadoss) was also particular about a Rajya Sabha seat. News emerging from the PMK circle said that they will enter into electoral ties with the BJP and it will be materialised on Saturday,” said an AIADMK leader privy to alliance talks with the PMK and DMDK.

As of now, K Krishnasamy’s Puthiya Tamilagam, Poovai Jagan Moorthy’s Puratchi Bharatham and Social Democratic Party of India and a few more outfits were part of the AIADMK front. They have yet to commence talks on seat and constituency allocation. Earlier, supporters of expelled AIADMK leader O Panneerselvam from Tiruvallur districts have returned to the AIADMK and joined the party in the presence of Palaniswami at the party headquarters.