Chennai: The DMK held its first phase of talks with MDMK and VCK on seat sharing for the upcoming Lok Sabha election and finalised the deal with another ally the Indian Union Muslim League (IUML), which was allotted one seat on Friday.
On Wednesday, the DMK and Congress had sealed a seat sharing accord for Tamil Nadu and Puducherry, a day after the BJP entered into electoral pact with the ruling AIADMK. The AIADMK's alliance also includes the PMK and talks were on with few other parties to firm up the alliance.
As per the agreement with the DMK, the Congress would contest from 9 out of 39 seats in TN besides the lone Lok Sabha constituency in Puducherry. The leaders of CPI, CPI (M) and Manithaneya Makkal Katchi (MMK) had talks with the seat-sharing committee of the DMK.
On Friday, the DMK engaged the MDMK and VCK leaders in talks. "The talks have been held cordially. We have conveyed our views to the DMK (seat-sharing committee) leaders who assured to consider and take them up with their leadership. We hope to hear the good news soon," Ganeshmurthy, MDMK treasurer said emerging from the discussions at DMK State headquarters - Anna Arivalayam. Asked how many seats his party had sought to contest, he replied, "the leaders of both the parties will decide and announce soon."
AMMK to finalise alliance in a week: T. T. V.
Dhinakaran's Amma Makkal Munnetra Kazhagam (AMMK) will finalise its alliance for the Lok Sabha polls in a week.
Speaking to reporters here on Friday, Mr Dhinakaran said the AMMK would contest in 38 Lok Sabha seats. The party has already decided the candidates to be nominated for the constituencies. "We are holding talks with two parties and will announce it after February 28. The parties that we ally with will be those which cannot be criticised by the people," he said.
Brushing aside speculations that AMMK is in talks with Vijayakanth's Desiya Murpokku Dravida Kazhagam (DMDK), Mr. Dhinakaran ruled out any scope for his party to align with the DMDK. "I am careful not to be an opportunist or not be someone who talks one thing first and then changes into something else later," he said. He took a dig at the DMDK leader saying Vijayakanth who had once opposed putting up pictures of the then Chief Minister J. Jayalalithaa in the Assembly, is negotiating with the AIADMK for an alliance.
