M Karunanidhi buckled under pressure on Tuesday, perhaps for the first time in his six-decades-old political career. And yet, the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) patriarch and Tamil Nadu chief minister said he was a happy man.
“It is a happy day for us,” he said on Tuesday, after conceding the Congress party’s demand to contest 63 of the 234 seats in next month’s assembly poll.
Seat-sharing talks had hit a deadlock and the DMK had even announced it was withdrawing unconditional support to the Congress-led Central government on Saturday.
Three days later, he lauded the sacrifice made by his party, as well as the Indian Union Muslim League (IUML) and Pattali Makkal Katchi (PMK), to keep the alliance alive.
“The DMK’s sacrificing quality is shown by the major sacrifice it has done for its alliance partners. We are contesting only in 121 seats. PMK and IUML have sacrificed one seat each,” Karunanidhi said while addressing nearly 3,000 party workers here.
The PMK will now contest 30 seats, while IUML will contest two. Among other alliance members, the Kongunandu Munnetra Kazhagam will contest seven seats and Moovendra Munnetra Kazhagam will contest one seat. The formula makes it difficult for the DMK to form a government on its own.
{{/usCountry}}The PMK will now contest 30 seats, while IUML will contest two. Among other alliance members, the Kongunandu Munnetra Kazhagam will contest seven seats and Moovendra Munnetra Kazhagam will contest one seat. The formula makes it difficult for the DMK to form a government on its own.
{{/usCountry}}Karunanidhi said the decision was taken in the interest of Tamil Nadu’s people; the alliance would now go to the polls with renewed vigour and win another term in power.