Vaiko back in Amma?s camp

AIADMK and MDMK clinched the seat-sharing deal under which the latter would contest 35 seats in Tamil Nadu.

The ruling AIADMK and MDMK on Saturday clinched the seat-sharing agreement under which the latter would contest 35 seats in the May 8 elections to the Tamil Nadu Assembly.

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In a renewal of their alliance, the electoral pact was inked between AIADMK Supremo and Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa and MDMK General Secretary Vaiko after the latter called on her at her residence.

Emerging out of a nearly 40-minute meeting, Jayalalithaa and Vaiko expressed confidence that the alliance would sweep the polls.

Vaiko quit the DPA after failing to get the share he wanted in that front with the DMK supremo M Karunanidhi, expressing inability to provide more than 22 seats to the MDMK.

Right from day one of the seat-sharing talks between the constituents of DPA, MDMK had been adopting a dilly-dallying attitude. On Friday, DMK chief M Karunanidhi had served an ultimatum to MDMK to take the offer of 22 seats or leave the alliance.

MDMK had been demanding parity with the PMK on the plea that its strength was much more than the PMK and was the "number three" party in the state. MDMK cadre had been opposing the tie-up with the DMK and was seeking an alliance with AIADMK, which had offered the party more seats.

Vaiko's decision is a boon for ruling AIADMK, which had been more or less isolated in the state's political scenario.