Chennai: DMDK founder Vijayakanth is launching his Lok Sabha election campaign on Friday with his first poll rally to be held at Gummidipoondi even as his followers remain perplexed about his silence on the list of party candidates.
DMDK sources said that PMK’s haggling over seats is delaying finalisation of a seat sharing agreement in the BJP-led alliance and release of the list of candidates. A DMDK leader in Tiruvallur said they were awaiting clearance from the party’s leadership on displaying the pictures of the leaders of alliance parties and the symbols of parties in banners and posters to be erected to mark the launch of Captain’s campaign.
“We have erected our party flags along the highway leading to Gummidipoondi, the venue of the poll campaign launch. However, we have decided to wait till Friday morning to erect banners and posters,” said a source. A senior party leader said the banners would have only the picture of Captain since seat sharing deal is not final yet.
If the seat sharing agreement was reached by Friday morning, his party’s candidate list could be released after a meeting of district secretaries in Koyambedu, he revealed. He blamed PMK’s adamant stand of not conceding seats for which it had announced candidates and for dragging the seat sharing talks.
PMK refuses to give up Arani, Arakkonam, Salem and Krishnagiri seats to its allies BJP and DMDK. DMDK is demanding Arani and Arakkonam seats while BJP is eying the Krishnagiri seat. Both DMDK and BJP were seeking Salem seat. “BJP want the Salem seat as it might get the sympathy votes following the recent murder of its state general secretary Auditor Ramesh,” a DMDK leader said.
Sources in BJP said the talks would conclude by Friday morning after which party state president Pon Radhakrishnan would brief party President Rajnath Singh in New Delhi about the seat-sharing talks held so far following which a final decision on the allocation of seats among the allies could be expected. Based on the state unit feedback (on the talks), the central leadership would finalise the pact, sources said.
