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Vijayakanth set to join NDA as DMK talks fail
The DMDK is likely to get five Lok Sabha seats and assurance for one Rajya Sabha seat as part of the alliance, sources said.
The Desiya Murpokku Dravida Kazhagam (DMDK), led by actor-turned politician Vijayakanth, is all set to join the All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK)-Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) front in Tamil Nadu for the upcoming Lok Sabha polls, state minister Mafoi Pandiyarajan said.
The move comes after the DMDK’s attempts to make an alliance with the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK), which has already entered into a pre-poll alliance with the Congress and several others, failed.
Pandiyarajan, who is the minister for Tamil official language and Tamil culture, said AIADMK co-ordinator and deputy chief minister O Panneerselvam will make a formal announcement within two days.
“We have been talking with the DMDK. Everything has been sorted out in our negotiations. Within one or two days, we will sign the poll pact. Our coordinator and deputy chief minister will make the formal announcement,” said Pandiyarajan.
After a day-long office-bearers’ meeting, Vijayakanth on Friday decided to enter into a pre-poll alliance with the AIADMK, a DMDK functionary said. The AIADMK had on February 19 struck an alliance with the BJP and Ramadoss’ Pattali Makkal Katchi (PMK).
“Our leader has heard our opinions regarding the alliance. Since many of our party workers expressed the opinion that we must join hands with AIADMK-BJP front, Vijayakanth has agreed to that,” said the DMDK functionary speaking on the condition of anonymity.
DMK leaders claimed they were unable to meet the demands of the DMDK.
“We already have too many partners...,” said a DMK member of Parliament.
“Therefore we are not in a position to sacrifice more numbers of seats for DMDK. We were ready to offer a maximum of four seats. However, they have asked for seven seats and assurance for one Rajya Sabha seat. So, we did not proceed with the alliance talks,” the DMK leader added.
Out of 39 seats in Tamil Nadu, the BJP has been offered five seats and the PMK seven LS seats with an assurance that one Rajya Sabha seat will also be allotted to it. The AIADMK has already offered the lone seat in Puducherry to its ally All India NR Congress.
With talks completed, the DMDK is likely to get five seats and assurance for one RS seat, according to party leaders.
Suba Gunarajan, one of the analysts, said DMDK’s tie-up with the NDA front in the state was expected. “When Vijayakanth launched his party in 2005, he was a major leader. When DMDK had faced the polls alone, it had secured 8% vote share in the 2006 assembly polls and recorded 10% vote share in 2009 LS polls.”
