Tamil Nadu: Seat-sharing talks gather pace, DMK faces pressure from allies

CHENNAI: Seat-sharing talks are gaining pace in the ruling alliance and DMK has been facing pressure from allies who are getting assertive and demanding.

On Sunday, when DMK held talks with CPM and MDMK, both allies insisted on more seats than they got in 2019 Lok Sabha elections. The MDMK was allotted one seat — Erode, back then. Now the party has sought two Lok Sabha seats, besides a Rajya Sabha seat. The party has also told DMK that it would contest on the MDMK symbol this time unlike 2019 when the party candidate, A Ganesamurthy, contested on DMK’s rising sun symbol.

“Yes, we have told the DMK that we would contest on our own symbol. We have also asked for two Lok Sabha seats,” said MDMK’s A Arjun Raj, who was part of the party’s seat-sharing talks committee.

The CPM panel too, which included central committee members P Sampath, P Shanmugam and state committee members N Gunasekaran and K Kanagaraj, have said they wanted to contest more seats. “It was a very frank discussion. We have conveyed our desire to contest more seats,” Sampath said.

Meanwhile, chief minister M K Stalin held a video conference from Spain with the election coordination and monitoring committee on Sunday. State sports minister Udhayanidhi Stalin, who is part of the committee said Stalin took stock of the functioning of the committee, listened to views expressed by members of the committee, and gave instructions on the future course of action.

The DMK had completed its first round of talks with CPI and Congress last week. These parties too have expressed their wish for more seats this time. The DMK, however, chose to be non-committal during the first round of talks.

IJK, which contested in DMK front in 2019 has left the alliance, sparing one more seat for DMK. But that has not eased the pressure on the ruling party, as DMK functionaries are demanding that the high command allot lesser seats for allies. There would be further pressure on DMK in allotting seats if MNM joins the alliance.

The talks with Viduthalai Chiruthaigal Katchi and IUML are slated for February 12, when the VCK is also likely to put forward its demand to contest on its own symbol rather than the DMK’s rising sun symbol.

A DMK leader said though allies were asking for more seats, they were not confrontational with their demands. “Much of this is posturing to boost cadre morale. Thes allies know they cannot get more seats than 2019. As far as symbols are concerned, Thalaivar (chief minister Stalin) would take a call,’’ said a senior leader.

DMK deputy general secretary I Periyasamy, who was part of the seat-sharing talks panel, said the negotiations were progressing smoothly. “Once the CM returns from his Spain visit, seat-sharing with allies would be finalised,” he said.