29-28-27-26: Can the PWF figure set the electoral ramp on fire?

After a tie-up with Vijayakanth's DMDK and conceding 124 seats to the actor, the PWF appears to have successfully concluded its own seat sharing talks and apportioning of the remaining 110 seats among its constituents. Sources said while Vaiko's MDMK might take 29, VCK is likely to contest 28 seats, CPM 27 and CPI 26.
With this, the DMDK-PWF front or the Captain Vijayakanth Front has cleared the crucial seat-sharing hurdle.The announcement about the seat-sharing pattern among the four parties and the candidates' list would be disclosed probably during a grand meeting of the five-party DMDK-PWF alliance slated for April 10 at Mamandur in suburban Chennai.
While this still leaves the sticky task of identifying constituencies, the allies are said to have already made a rough as sessment of where they would contest.The loose ends are expected to be tied up before the April 10 public meeting. While the MDMK is likely to contest at least four seats in Chennai, including Harbour, Thousand Lights, Avadi and Tiruporur, Vaiko might opt for Sattur, a fireworks hub in Virudhunagar district, sources said.
A scion of the Buhari hotel chain and Fast track owner C Ambikapathy are likely to be fielded by the MDMK in two of the Chennai constituencies. The front is likely to field CPI leader R Mutharasan against DMK chief M Karunanidhi in Tiruvarur while the CPM is likely to field a candidate in R K Nagar where AIADMK chief J Jayalalithaa may contest.
Sources said there were no major hiccups in seat sharing. While initially the four constituents wanted the seats to be equally distributed amongst themselves, it was later decided that Vaiko as a senior partner and coordinator of the front should be allocated the highest number.
The one-seat difference between each serves as an indicator of the pecking order while it has no numerical significance.Wrapping up the seat allocations and candidates decision early , the combine is seeking to mount a challenge to the Dravidian majors. The issue of joint campaigning with the DMDK is yet to be resolved, however.
In the rival camp, Congress and DMK are expected to arrive at a seat-sharing arrangement when senior leader Ghulam Nabi Azad, chief negotiator for the Congress meets DMK chief M Karunanidhi on Monday morning. Content with several Muslim and caste groups, besides the TMC, AIADMK chief J Jayalalithaa has wrapped up seat talks with several minor partners.