Seat identification talks at full pace in DMK alliance camp

With elections just around the corner, preparations, especially alliances for the major parties, have almost been finalised. To decide upon seat identification, the DMK on Saturday held discussions with leaders of the Congress and Left parties at the partyheadquarters.

Tamil Nadu Congress Committee (TNCC) president KS Alagiri, former TNCC president KV Thangkabalu and leader of the Congress Legislature Party KR Ramaswamy, who were part of the committee to discuss the identification of seats for their party, gave out prospective list of constituencies to the DMK leaders.

Sources said that during the discussion, Congress leaders urged the DMK that it should allocate seats identified in the list. The Congress had given a list of more than 15 Parliamentary constituencies including Kanniyakumari, Tirunelveli, Tiruchy and Thiruvallur, which is considered to be the national party’s stronghold.

During the discussion, which lasted for an hour, the DMK also gave out its wish list to the Congress. Soon after the meeting, Congress president Alagiri said the discussion was satisfactory and near conclusive.

“We have given our list of prospective constituencies. All the pros and cons were discussed in the meeting. Another meeting will be held shortly,” he said, adding, “An official announcement will be made in a day or two after discussions with other ally partners”.

The DMK had finalised its alliance with the Congress by offering 10 seats to the national party out of the 40 available in Tamil Nadu and Puducherry. The national party will contest nine seats in Tamil Nadu and the lone Puducherry seat.

The principle Opposition party also held discussion with CPI-M and CPI to finalise seat identification. Echoing similar views of Congress leaders, CPI-M Leader K Balakrishnan also said that the meeting with DMK leaders was satisfying. “We have given our list. The rest will be decided by the DMK high command,” he said.

Likewise, R Mutharasan, secretary, Tamil Nadu Unit of Communist Party of India (CPI), who also held discussions with DMK leaders, said that his party gave them a choice of six constituencies. “We spoke to DMK leaders and elaborated on our strengths. It is up to the party president to decide,” he said.

Hinting that there might be another round of talks, Mutharasan said, “everything will be finalisedvery soon”. More on P6