Lok Sabha elections 2019: DMDK says it will team up with NDA, no talks on seat arrangement yet

A day after staying away from PM Modi’s rally in Tamil Nadu, Vijayakanth’s DMDK on Thursday announced that it would be teaming up with the AIADMK-BJP front for the Lok Sabha elections.

A day after staying away from the Prime Minister’s rally in Tamil Nadu, Vijayakanth’s Desiya Murpokku Dravida Kazhagam (DMDK) on Thursday announced that it would be teaming up with the All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK)-Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) front for the upcoming Lok Sabha elections.

It is not clear how many seats the ruling AIADMK will be ready to allot to Vijayakanth’s DMDK, which has been pressing for parity with the PMK that has been given seven seats. (File Photo)

“We will be part of the AIADMK-BJP alliance. The electoral pact will be inked and the number of seats as well as the constituencies we are contesting made known in a couple of days,” DMDK deputy general secretary and Vijayakanth’s brother-in-law, LK Sudheesh, said.

It is not clear how many seats the ruling AIADMK will be ready to allot to the DMDK, which has been pressing for parity with the Pattali Makkal Katchi (PMK) that has been given seven seats. The BJP has been allotted five seats. Tamil Nadu has 39 Lok Sabha seats and Puducherry one seat.

Sudheesh’s announcement came within hours of Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) president, MK Stalin, shutting the doors on the DMDK. But this was preceded by high drama on Wednesday when the DMDK was holding simultaneous talks with the AIADMK-BJP front as well as the DMK.

Lok Sabha deputy Speaker M Thambidurai (AIADMK) and state BJP chief Tamilisai Sounderrarajan saw nothing wrong in the DMDK holding parallel negotiations. “It is common for a political party to explore all available options during elections,” Thambidurai opined. Tamilisai had earlier expressed the hope that the DMDK would join the BJP alliance soon.