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DMK seat sharing talks with allies MDMK, VCK likely today
The DMK is likely to hold seat sharing talks with allies MDMK and VCK in a day or two. The alliance leader DMK would be engaging the smaller allies shortly after the party hosted a delegation of its largest ally, Congress at Anna Arivalayam early this week.
By
migrator
migrator
Chennai
A DMK seat sharing team led by its treasurer TR Baalu, sources said, could be hosting members of MDMK and VCK on Monday. Meanwhile, MDMK general secretary on Sunday constituted a four-member committee, including its deputy general secretary ‘Mallai’ CA Sathya to hold negotiations with the DMK.
If information coming out of DMK headquarters are something to go by, the DMK leadership is keen on restricting the two parties to around four seats each or if possible less.
DMK sources with knowledge of the negotiations said that except the Congress party, none of the allies could be allotted over half a dozen seats. Even the Congress party could be restricted to around 20 seats and even in the worst case scenario of pressure being mounted by the Congress high command, the DMK does not want to concede more than 25 seats to the Congress party.
The DMK, which is wary of allies pulling down the party in the 2016 Assembly polls, plans to contest not less than 180 seats in the April 6 election. That said, the seat sharing negotiations were unlikely to drag on in the Secular Progressive Alliance given that the allies have already publicly declared their willingness to make compromises to protect the harmony of the alliance.
EPS enacting ‘social justice drama’ for polls, says Stalin
DMK president MK Stalin on Sunday accused Chief Minister Edappadi K Palaniswami of enacting social justice drama for elections. Taking a veiled dig at the CM for passing a Bill enabling the provision of 10.5 per cent compartmental reservation for Vanniyars, Stalin said that social justice could not be secured by making half-baked announcements in the end of the tenure.
Speaking at the conclusion of Ungal Thoguthiyil Stalin meeting in Kottivakkam near here, Stalin said, “The BJP led union government has snatched all the rights of OBCs in education and Central government jobs. Chief Minister Palaniswami has not issued even a single statement against that. He was unable to stop the plot to deny Central government jobs to OBCs, but he is enacting a social justice drama during election time. People should realise that he staged farmer drama and now social justice drama for elections.”
“Social justice cannot be protected by making half-baked announcements ahead of election. Social justice would be ensured for all after DMK forms government,” Stalin said, before reiterating that a separate department would be formed for scrutinising and redressing the grievances submitted to him during the UTS campaign.
Slamming the CM for criticising him during the campaign, the DMK president listed out the various schemes implemented for Chennai during the DMK regime and said, “Palaniswami says Stalin can make any claim because he is not in power. If so, why does he implement everything I say.”
Accusing the CM of making false promises for electoral gains, Stalin said that Palaniswami was making announcements, forgetting that he is the Chief Minister. “He has no conviction over the promises and announcements he makes. He has never had it,” Stalin remarked.
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