Tamil Nadu polls: DMK, Congress finalize seat-sharing pact

The Congress and the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) finally struck a seat-sharing deal for the upcoming Tamil Nadu assembly elections on Monday.

“We have assigned 41 seats to the Congress party and the rest will be distributed. Of course the major share will go to DMK,” senior Congress leader Ghulam Nabi Azad said after completing a second round of talks with the regional party.

DMK, led by veteran M. Karunanidhi, is currently the main opposition party in the state. It has already allocated five seats each to the Indian Union Muslim League (IUML) and the Manithaneya Makkal Katchi (MMK). It has also allocated a seat each to three other minor parties. The state assembly has a total of 234 seats.

“I’m sure under the leadership of Sonia Gandhi at the national level and with DMK chief Karunanidhi’s leadership at the state level, our alliance will be able to form the government in Tamil Nadu,” Azad said after meeting Karunanidhi at his Gopalapuram residence in Chennai.

Later in the day, the parties will also hold discussions to decide on the constituencies they will contest in, DMK treasurer and Karunanidhi’s son M.K. Stalin said.

The earlier rounds of seat-sharing talks between Congress and DMK in March were inconclusive. Azad, the opposition leader in the Rajya Sabha, announced Congress’s decision to tie up with the DMK in February.

Seat-sharing talks began in right earnest after the DMK failed to woo Vijayakanth-led Desiya Murpokku Dravida Kazhagam (DMDK) into an alliance. After spurning DMK, Vijayakanth went on to join hands with the People’s Welfare Front (PWF), a coalition of the Communist Party of India (Marxist), Communist Party of India, Vaiko-led Marumalarchi Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam and T. Thirumavalavan’s Viduthalai Chiruthaigal Katchi (VCK).

The ruling All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK), led by J. Jayalalithaa, is also set to join hands with some minor parties and G.K. Vasan-led Tamil Maanila Congress (TMC) ahead of the May 16 polls, which are shaping up to be a three-cornered contest.

The Bharatiya Janata Party is expected to rope in a few lesser-known parties. The Pattali Makkal Katchi (PMK), backed by the Vanniyar community, is set to go it alone by projecting former Union health minister Anbumani Ramadoss as its chief ministerial candidate.

A debutant in this election is Naam Tamilar, headed by film director Seeman. The party has announced candidates for all 234 constituencies, but its voter base remains untested.