‘DMK will win 200 out of 234 seats in Tamil Nadu assembly polls’: Stalin

Half a dozen parties, namely, Congress, Communist Party of India (CPI), Communist Party of India (Marxist), Vaiko’s Marumalarchi Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (MDMK) and Viduthalai Chiruthaigal Katchi (VCK) are in alliance with the DMK in Tamil Nadu.

After a landslide victory in the Lok Sabha polls, Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) president MK Stalin on Thursday claimed that his party will win 200 out of 234 assembly seats in the 2021 Tamil Nadu assembly polls.

DMK President MK Stalin (PTI)

In the Lok Sabha elections, the DMK-led alliance won 38 out of the 39 seats in the state.

Stalin’s statement has left DMK’s allies in the state confused as to whether the Dravidian major is going to leave out just 34 seats for them. Half a dozen parties, namely, Congress, Communist Party of India (CPI), Communist Party of India (Marxist), Vaiko’s Marumalarchi Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (MDMK) and Viduthalai Chiruthaigal Katchi (VCK) are in alliance with the DMK in Tamil Nadu.

Stalin, who was speaking at a book launch event in Coimbatore, claimed, “In 1971, the DMK, under our patriarch M Karunanidhi, had won 184 seats and formed a government. I assure this time, in the 2021 assembly elections, the DMK will win 200 out of 234 seats. The DMK regime will continue for the next 25 years after that.”

The DMK president also said that even if the party had won more seats during the by-polls to 22 vacant assembly seats and successfully toppled the state government, it would not have been of much use.

“That is because we would not have been in a position to roll out people welfare schemes due to the short time span. So, we will face the state assembly general election in 2021 and will win 200 seats,” Stalin added.

Recently, DMK’s newly-appointed youth wing secretary and Stalin’s son Udhayanidhi had said, “DMK should contest on more number of seats in the upcoming (assembly) elections.”

In the 2016 state assembly polls, the DMK had contested on 176 seats and won 89 of them. Whereas, its ally Congress, which fought on 41 seats, had managed to win only eight of them. Another ally IUML contested on five seats, but had won only one seat.

Marginal players like, Manithaneya Makkal Katchi (MMK), Perunthalaivar Makkal Katchi (PMMK), Dr K Krishnaswamy’s Puthiya Tamilagam, Tamil Nadu Peasants and Workers Party (TNPWP) and former IAS officer Sivakami’s Samuga Samathuva Padai, who were also a part of DMK-led alliance, had unsuccessfully contested on a total of 10 seats.

While 118 seats are essential to get a simple majority in Tamil Nadu Legislative Assembly, the DMK-led alliance got 97 seats. However, the AIADMK won 134 seats and managed to form a government again. Stalin’s comments, therefore, has set off a speculation that DMK wants to restrict the number of seats for allies ahead of 2021 state assembly polls.

However, allies Congress and Communists insisted that Stalin’s statement should not be misinterpreted.

According to TNCC working president Mayura S Jayakumar, the DMK President’s statement should be considered as a DMK-led alliance winning 200 seats rather than just DMK alone.

“Stalin has not said that he would give only 34 seats to DMK’s allies. He is just saying that we will win 200 seats in 2021 assembly elections. It should be taken as the DMK alliance will bag 200 seats, and the opposition will get the remaining 34,” Jayakumar told HT.

Communist Party of India’s state secretary R Mutharasan also concurred with the Congress leader and said,”Stalin said that DMK would form the government by winning 200 seats in the 2021 state assembly elections. He has not said that the 200 seats would be won by the DMK alone,” Mutharasan told HT.

Selvaraj Sankaraiah, a senior political analyst, said Stalin’s statement was simply to encourage his workers in the western belt, where the DMK is weak.

“The recently held Vellore LS by-polls had witnessed a DMK win but with a very slight margin. The AIADMK has aligned with the BJP, actor Vijayakanth’s Desiya Murpokku Dravidar Kazhagam (DMDK), Dr S Ramadoss’s Pattali Makkal Katchi (PMK), Dr K Krishnaswamy’s (Puthiya Tamilagam) and former union minister GK Vasan’s Tamil Maanila Congress. So, Stalin is unlikely to strike a bad deal and lose the existing allies. His speech stating that DMK will win 200 out of 234 seats was probably meant for encouraging his party workers in the western belt,” Selvaraj said.