In Tamil Nadu, Jayalalithaa Names Constituency, Just 7 Seats For Allies

Tamil Nadu has entered unhindered election mode, with the two major competing teams deciding how to divide up seats among themselves, and Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa announcing that she will run for office from the constituency that elected her after she was acquitted in a major corruption case.

Ms Jayalalithaa, 68, will ask for another term from RK Nagar in Chennai. In June last year, she won an easy victory after a court in Bengaluru found no merit in charges that she had used an earlier term in office to collect kickbacks and vast wealth.

The Tamil Nadu assembly has 234 seats.

Ms Jayalalithaa’s party, the ruling AIADMK, will contest 227, leaving just seven for its allies.

Her arch rival, the DMK, led by 92 -year-old MK Karunanidhi, has given just 41 seats to the Congress, a big cut – in the last state election, the Congress was allowed 63 seats by Mr Karunanidhi. Disaster ensued. The Congress won just 5 seats, giving it little leverage in this time’s election.

Former Congress leader GK Vasan, a powerful regional force, has founded his own party and is expected to eat into the Congress’ share of votes.

Meanwhile, “Captain” or actor-turned-politician Vijaykanth, is also running for Chief Minister as the leader of what’s seen as Tamil Nadu’s Third Front – a partnership of four parties including the 54-year-old’s DMDK, Vaiko’s MDMK, VCK and the Left.

Tamil Nadu votes on May 16 in a single phase poll. Results will be declared on May 19, along with the states of Assam, Bengal, Kerala and Puducherry.

Traditionally, Tamil Nadu has alternated between putting the DMK and AIADMK in government. “In Tamil Nadu, it is always one term for AIADMK and another term for the DMK. Now it is the turn of the DMK-led government and I am sure we will be able to form the government,” said Congress leader Ghulam Nabi Azad, who handled the tricky negotiations over seat-sharing for his party with Mr Karunanidhi.

The BJP, which did not win a single seat in the 2011 state elections, has not announced any tie-ups so far.