30 seats for Cong likely in DMK alliance

Senior leaders of the principal opposition party were understood to have crunched numbers in receipt of a report from its analyst I-PAC (Indian Political Action Committee), which had predicted 180 seats to the party next year.

A party insider privy to the discussion revealed that the DMK high command was contemplating seat allocation on the basis of the seats apportioned to allies for the 2019 Lok Sabha election. If the formula were something to go by, long-time ally Congress might stand to lose in next year’s Assembly polls. The DMK decision makers seem to be willing to allot only three seats per Lok Sabha ticket, which would put the Congress tally at 30 Assembly seats, against the 41 it had secured in 2016. The DMK is in a mood to reduce the seat tally of Left parties and Thol Tirumavalavan led VCK to six seats each. Allies KMDK, IUML and IJK would get three Assembly seats each, minimizing DMK’s own tally to 171, with the allies pocketing remaining 63. However, the “Rising Sun” symbol could be in contention in 189 seats if the DMK convinces a few smaller allies like VCK, MDMK, KMDK and IJK to contest in “Rising Sun” symbol, like it did in 2019 polls.

Given the political turmoil Congress is facing across the country and presence of additional parties in the alliance (MDMK, Left and VCK have come on board after 2016), DMK leader feels, it might not be difficult task convincing the national party to settle for around 30 seats. Poor strike rate of the national party (Congress won only eight of the 41 seats it had contested in 2016) would be a deterrent to driving hard bargain with the DMK, which has already been advised by its strategist to consider going it alone next year. “He (Stalin) is in no mood to do anything that could spoil the party’s victory even a bit next year. So, he will not break the alliance. He will go with the existing alliance. Nonetheless, he will not be generous like last year,” said a party senior who did not wish to be named.

“The discussions are internal. We don’t know how things will pan out next year or at the end of the year. Should more parties come to us, our leaders might make some compromises, We don’t know what numbers our allies have in mind,” the leader added.

The DMK led opposition on Monday condemned the ruling AIADMK for the confusions in reporting the Covid deaths in the state. The Secular Progressive Alliance led by DMK also resolved that the government should pay Rs 5,000 per family to overcome the financial stress they have gone through during the lockdown.

Criticizing the government for not paying heed to their demand for releasing a district-wise breakup of Covid tests done in the state, a resolution adopted in the all-party meeting held via video call said the people of state have understood that the government was repeated lying on the Covid death issue from the report of the govt constituted committee, which has concluded that 444 deaths were unreported.

Urging the government to transparently release the list of frontline warriors who died in the battle against Covid, the opposition parties asked the state government to pay Rs 50 lakh compensation, as was announced by the AIADMK regime earlier, without delay to the family of those who lost their lives.

The DMK led opposition also constituted a ten-member media monitoring committee to study the infiltration of right wing elements trying to push the saffron agenda through the mainstream media in the state.