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INDIA bloc likely to repeat 2019 seat-sharing formula in Tamil Nadu
The first round of talks went smoothly between the ruling Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) and its principal ally Congress — both the parties in the Secular Progressive Alliance in Tamil Nadu on Sunday.
With the seat sharing being most uncomplicated among the Indian National Developmental Inclusive Alliance (INDIA) bloc allies in Tamil Nadu, where the DMK led coalition swept 38 out of the 39 Lok Sabha seats in 2019, the alliance plans to repeat the same formula with minor adjustments in the upcoming Lok Sabha elections scheduled to be held in April-May, leader familiar with the matter said on Tuesday.
Changes are likely to happen in the selection of constituencies, the leaders said after the first round of talks went smoothly between the ruling Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) and its principal ally Congress — both the parties in the Secular Progressive Alliance in Tamil Nadu on Sunday.
Similarly, the number of seats shared is likely to be the same between DMK and other partners including the Dalit and Left parties in the coalition during the upcoming meetings. DMK would contest in more than 20 seats out of the 39 parliamentary seats in Tamil Nadu and the lone seat in Puducherry is likely to go to Congress, political leaders said.
In the 2019 Lok Sabha elections in Tamil Nadu, the Congress won eight out of the nine seats they contested. They lost one seat in Theni to All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam’s (AIADMK’s) now expelled MLA O Ravindranath, son of O Panneerselvam (known popularly as OPS). The DMK won all 20 seats they contested. Besides that, four of their allies– Viduthalai Chiruthaigal Katchi (VCK), Marumalarchi Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (MDMK), Kongunadu Makkal Desiya Katchi (KMDK) and Indhiya Jananayaga Katchi (IKJ) contested in the DMK’s rising sun symbol. The Left parties- CPI-M and CPI contested in two seats each. The VCK and IUML contested in one seat each. “We would want to contest under our own symbol this election,” a VCK leader said on condition of anonymity, adding that they desire to contest in at least two to three seats but it seems hard amidst talks of actor-politician Kamal Haasan receiving a seat in the Secular Progressive Alliance. However, Haasan ‘s Makkal Needhi Maiam party has so far not announced any tie up with the coalition.
“The 2019 formula is successful and it’s the only way we can accommodate so many of our allies,” said a DMK leader asking not to be named. “It is natural that everyone wants more seats but our allies are able to understand that everyone must be happy.” A Congress leader said that they had sought seats in double digits and the DMK wants to part only with nine seats including Puducherry but they are happy with the way their first round of talks concluded. “We had a long discussion and discussed how all of us can move together to once again gain the confidence of the people of Tamil Nadu and unseat the dispensation at the Centre, which has posed a serious challenge to the Constitution of India and our democratic polity, and bring back those forces which will take the nation strongly on the path of democracy,” Congress leader Mukul Wasnik told reporters following the meeting on Sunday.
The discussion on Sunday also came at a time when the Janata Dal (United) called off its alliance with the Rashtriya Janata Party, Congress and other smaller parties in Bihar and quit the INDIA bloc to rejoin the Bharatiya Janata Party-led National Democratic Alliance.
Both DMK and Congress leaders said that Nitish Kumar resigning as Bihar’s chief minister to take up the post against the BJP would not deter other allies in the INDIA bloc. The meeting between the two parties was held at a time when the Congress has come under attack from its partners in the INDIA bloc over a delay in seat-sharing pacts and other decisions. The Trinamool Congress (TMC) has said that more than 200 days have passed without any deal, and has declared its intention of going solo in West Bengal. The Samajwadi Party (SP) has also criticised the Congress on this count and indicated that it is not willing to give more than 13 Lok Sabha seats to the latter in Uttar Pradesh.
