DMK fails to break deadlock with DMDK

DMK sources privy to the negotiations revealed to DT Next that the talks were positive till a couple of days ago, but it did not progress after the ruling dispensation renewed the bid. A senior DMK leader requesting anonymity admitted that the talks were not progressive and there was a high likelihood of the actor-politician gravitating towards the AIADMK-BJP camp.

The principal opposition party was understood to have assured four Lok Sabha and one Rajya Sabha berth plus some ‘other’ considerations.

However, the ruling AIADMK sprung a surprise by putting on table three LS and one RS. The real clincher for AIADMK, which is likely to happen very shortly, could have been other considerations.

The DMDK has also been given an assurance by the saffron party that it would clear some legal bottlenecks faced by an education institution run by an influential member of the DMDK top brass, sources said.

DMK sources in the know admitted to their talks suffering a serious setback and said the party president could have avoided engaging an unpredictable Vijayakant, who had let them down at the nick of time during 2016 Assembly elections.

“The chance of the DMDK joining our secular alliance is remote now, unless we (DMK) make an offer which would be too difficult to decline but not in the best interest of our party,” a highly placed DMK source said, admitting that they would lose momentum and their leader’s ability to cobble up alliance would also be questioned now.

Stalin could ink the pact with the two Left parties, MDMK and VCK on his birthday on Friday or the day after should the DMDK-BJP alliance gets formalised immediately.