Senior functionaries want DMK to contest 200 Assembly seats

A DMK senior, who did not wish to be named, revealed that the party chief had elicited the views of seniors on the seat tally of allies. Stalin, a party source said, had shared the details of reports prepared by I-PAC (Indian Political Action Committee) after successive surveys during the last few months. If information revealed by sources were something to go by, Stalin had told his senior party colleagues that securing a simple majority would be a cakewalk and the party could win between 170-180 seats if they worked hard for next seven months.

A majority of the attendees, who blamed generous apportionment of seats to allies for the failures in 2016 and 2011, were learnt to have suggested up to 200 seats for ‘Rising Sun’ to ensure that the party rules comfortably without the trouble of even allies.

One of the seniors elevated in last week’s general council was believed to have advised against adopting the 2019 Lok Sabha seat sharing formula for 2021 Assembly polls. Though a couple of deputy general secretaries had insisted on restricting allies to less than 40 seats, a realistic senior had suggested around 50 seats for allies so that ‘Rising Sun’ would be in contention in not less than 180 seats, which was close to their 2016 tally.

The DMK think tank, the party source added, had recommended minimising the tally of old allies like Congress to accommodate the left parties, VCK and MDMK, which had joined the alliance after last Assembly polls. The just commenced session of State Assembly and handling of BJP-led Centre had also featured in the meeting at Stalin’s residence. When asked, DMK organising secretary, RS Bharathi said, “We meet regularly. It is a routine affair. Every time our leaders get together in Arivalayam or at his (Stalin’s) house, people start speculating. It is too early to discuss seat sharing issues. It was a regular informal meeting.”

DMK president MK Stalin on Monday made an appeal to the party cadre to join the annual “mupperum vizha” celebration commemorating the party founding day and anniversaries of party founder CN Annadurai and their ideological mentor Periyar, online. The party has made arrangements for the MLAs and senior functionaries to witness the celebration directly at Kalaignar Arangam. Tuesday’s ‘mupperum vizha’ would be the first to be chaired by newly elected DMK general secretary Duraimurugan. Newly elected treasurer TR Baalu, deputy general secretaries K Ponmudi and A Raja along with existing senior office bearers would speak at the meeting. Meanwhile, Stalin asked Union Home Minister Amit Shah to focus on saving Indians from Coronavirus rather than saving Hindi language. “Amit Shah should focus on saving Indians from Coronavirus rather than saving Hindi,” Stalin said, in a message posted on Facebook. He also advised Shah to realise that Hindi only disturbs the integrity of a country that sees unity in diversity.