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DMK seals seat-sharing deal with two minority allies
The DMK allotted three seats to the IUML and two to the MMK.
Tamil Nadu's principal opposition Dravida Munnetra Kazhaga (DMK) on Monday reached a seat-sharing deal with the Indian Union Muslim League (IUML) and the Manithaneya Makkal Katchi (MMK) for the assembly election due on April 6.
The DMK allotted three seats to the IUML and two to the MMK. DMK president MK Stalin signed the agreement with IUML’s Kader Mohideen whose party would contest under their ladder symbol and not DMK’s iconic ‘rising sun’ symbol.
“It is a tradition since Kalaignar’s (late M Karunanidhi) period that DMK’s first signature would be with IUML,” Mohideen told reporters at DMK’s headquarters in Chennai. He said that though the IUML sought five seats, the DMK had explained to them that they needed to contest more seats given the political situation and to accommodate new allies.
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“The DMK coalition must win most seats and party must form the government with its own majority so that Tamil Nadu remains a cradle of social justice and BJP’s plans are defeated,” MMK leader MH Jawahirullah told reporters. “We have to defeat the BJP-AIADMK alliance,” he said. He said that decisions on which party symbol to contest on would be decided later. Constituencies are also yet to be finalised.
The DMK started its first round of negotiations with the Congress last Thursday where the regional heavyweight wasn’t willing to part with more than 20-25 seats even as the national party desired between 40 and 50 seats. The second round of seat-sharing talks will resume between them after Congress leader Rahul Gandhi completes his campaign on March 1. The DMK on Friday formed a seven-member committee headed by party treasurer and MP TR Balu to hold seat-sharing talks with the allies.
The DMK won 80 out of 180 seats it contested in 2016 where the AIADMK led by late J Jayalalithaa retained power for the second time. The other allies in the DMK-led alliance are Viduthalai Chiruthaigal Katchi (VCK), Left parties Manithaneya Makkal Katchi (MMK), Marumalarchi Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (MDMK) and two smaller partners.
