Chennai, March 8: The final seat-sharing arrangement in the DMK-led alliance for the upcoming Tamil Nadu Assembly elections is likely to be finalised after a crucial meeting of alliance leaders in Tiruchy, which will be convened soon, even as negotiations between the ruling party and its partners remain inconclusive.
Sources in the DMK said that while the Congress party has already secured 28 seats in the alliance, discussions with other partners are ongoing due to tough bargaining over the number of constituencies each party will contest.
Several alliance partners are reportedly trying to reach Chief Minister and DMK president M.K. Stalin directly to resolve the hurdles in negotiations.
Party insiders said some leaders are attempting to bypass the DMK’s official seat-sharing committee and seek a direct audience with CM Stalin to press their demands. This approach is similar to the strategy earlier adopted by Congress leaders during their negotiations with the DMK leadership.
Key members of the DMK-led alliance — including the CPI, the CPI(M), the MDMK, VCK, DMDK and actor Kamal Haasan’s MNM — are yet to reach an agreement with the DMK on the number of seats they will be allotted.
The Left parties have reportedly demanded double-digit seat allocations, citing their organisational presence and electoral base in several regions. However, the DMK leadership is believed to be willing to allot only around ten seats in total for both the CPI and CPI(M) combined.
Similarly, the DMDK and VCK are pushing for double-digit seat shares, though political observers expect them to eventually settle for around eight and seven seats, respectively, as negotiations progress.
Meanwhile, discussions with the MDMK and MNM have also encountered difficulties, not only over the number of seats but also over the election symbol.
The DMK leadership has suggested that both parties contest under the DMK’s ‘Rising Sun’ symbol, a proposal that the two parties are reportedly reluctant to accept.
Despite ongoing differences, DMK sources expressed confidence that the alliance partners would soon arrive at a consensus once the Tiruchy meeting, which will be convened shortly, brings together the leaders to finalise the seat-sharing formula.
–IANS