Tamil Nadu seat-sharing: CPI (M), MDMK look to contest on more seats

The ruling DMK, CPI(M), and MDMK in Tamil Nadu held talks for seat sharing in the upcoming Lok Sabha elections. CPI(M) asked for more seats, while MDMK sought two Lok Sabha seats and one Rajya Sabha seat. DMK is expected to finalize agreements with all parties once its president, M K Stalin, returns from his official trip to Spain. The second round of talks between DMK and Congress is scheduled for February 9. The Lok Sabha elections in Tamil Nadu will be a contest between DMK, AIADMK, and BJP for 39 seats.

Chennai: The ruling Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK), the Communist Party of India (Marxist) and the Marumalarchi Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (MDMK) on Sunday held talks for seat sharing in Tamil Nadu for the upcoming Lok Sabha elections.

Tamil Nadu chief minister M K Stalin with MDMK leader Vaiko in a fille photo. (FILE)

During the discussions, CPI (M) asked for more seats.

“All parties will want to contest on more seats. We have also asked for more seats,” said P Sampath of the CPI (M).

MDMK sought two Lok Sabha seats and one Rajya Sabha seat.

“We will contest with our party symbol,” said MDMK’s Arjun Raj.

The ruling party kicked off its seat-sharing talks with its principal ally Congress on January 28. DMK also held discussions with the Communist Party of India (CPI) on Saturday that demanded more seats.

DMK’s seat-sharing committee member I Periyasamy said, that once chief minister and DMK president M K Stalin is back from his official trip to Spain, they will start signing agreements with all the parties. Stalin left for Spain on January 27 and is scheduled to return on February 7.

The second round of talks between the DMK and Congress is scheduled on February 9. Leaders from both parties said earlier that they are likely to agree on nine seats like they contested in the 2019 parliamentary elections.

On February 12, the DMK is likely to invite leaders from the Viduthalai Chiruthaigal Katchi (VCK) and the Indian Union Muslim League (IUML) for the first round of talks, said DMK party insiders.

The DMK-led Secular Progressive Alliance formed in 2019 is part of the INDIA bloc. According to party workers, negotiations in the southern state among the INDIA allies are smooth. The ensuing Lok Sabha elections will be a three concerned contest between the DMK, All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK) and Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) for 39 seats in Tamil Nadu and the lone seat in Puducherry. AIADMK quit the alliance with the BJP in September last year.

In the 2019 parliamentary elections, Congress won eight out of the nine seats losing one seat in Theni to AIADMK. The DMK won all 20 seats they contested. Besides that, MDMK, VCK, Kongunadu Makkal Desiya Katchi (KMDK) and Indhiya Jananayaga Katchi (IKJ) contested in the DMK’s rising sun symbol in a seat each and won. VCK contested one under their own symbol to win. The Left parties- CPI-M and CPI contested won in the two seats they each contested. IUML contested in one seat which they won.

According to alliance partners, while the DMK-led coalition is intact and may see the inclusion of actor-politician Kamal Haasan’s Makkal Needhi Maiam (MNM) to be given one seat, the AIADMK and BJP are wooing other regional allies who were in the National Democratic Alliance (NDA).