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Updated March 7th, 2021 at 09:57 IST

DMK to finalize seat-sharing with Congress; to offer 25 seats + Kanyakumari LS ticket

In the latest development in poll-bound Tamil Nadu, sources have informed that the seat-sharing talks between Congress and DMK will be finalized on Saturday

Reported by: Koushik Narayanan
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In the latest development in poll-bound Tamil Nadu, sources have informed that the seat-sharing talks between Congress and DMK will be finalized on Saturday, with the Dravidian party offering 25 seats to the grand old party. As per sources, DMK has offered to allot 25 Assembly seats along with the Kanyakumari Lok Sabha seat which fell vacant after the death of MP Vasanthkumar earlier in 2020. DMK's offer to Congress came after a late-night meeting at MK Stalin's residence with Congress leaders Dinesh Gundu Rao, KR Ramaswamy, and KS Alagiri. 

READ | DMK Concludes Deal With CPI, Another-ally, Congress Vows To Fight For A Respectable Number Of Seats

Seat-sharing talks between the DMK and Congress previously remained inconclusive, with the former hesitant to offer more seats while the latter demanded more. Congress had also received an invite from Kamal Haasan's MNM to join the third front in opposition to the Dravidian parties. However, TNCC chief KS Alagiri had dismissed reports of Congress meeting MNM and maintained that it was for DMK to decide on seat-sharing between the two allies and said that the ball was in their court. 

Taking a step further in Priyanka Gandhi Vadra's electoral debut, Congress MP Karti Chidambaram on Friday, submitted an application to the party's election committee to consider Vadra as its candidate for the by-polls to Kanyakumari Lok Sabha constituency. The seat has fallen vacant after MP H Vasanthakumar - founder and chairman of Vasanth & Co, passed away in August 2020 due to COVID-19. The Sivaganga MP had suggested Vadra's name as a bid to 'boost Congress morale in Tamil Nadu polls'.

READ | Tamil Nadu Congress Chief Breaks Down After Party Seniors Were 'insulted' By Ally DMK

Marumalarchi Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (MDMK) has entered into an alliance with the primary opposition Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) for the upcoming Tamil Nadu Assembly elections. Elaborating on the alliance, MDMK's chief Vaiko informed on Saturday that the DMK chief MK Stalin has signed an agreement by which 6 assembly seats have been allotted to MDMK. Earlier on Thursday, DMK allocated six seats to its ally Viduthalai Chiruthaigal Katchi (VCK) and three seats to the Indian Union Muslim League (IUML). Moreover, as MK Stalin eyes a maiden term as the Tamil Nadu CM, the DMK has allocated two seats to the Manithaneya Makkal Katchi (MMK). DMK-Congress will have to finalize a formula soon as the last date to file the nominations is approaching which is on March 19.

Meanwhile, the seat-sharing talks between DMK and CPI(M) for the upcoming Tamil Nadu Assembly elections remained inconclusive on Saturday, the Left party's state secretary K Balakrishnan informed. The initial rounds of seat-sharing talks between DMK and CPI(M) failed after the latter demanded seats in double-digits while the former denied it. CPI(M) state secretary K Balakrishnan revealed that DMK's offer would be discussed by the party's working committee before a decision is made. The DMK on Friday allotted six seats to ally the Communist Party of India (CPI) for the April 6 Assembly polls.

READ | CPI(M)-DMK Deadlock Over Seat-sharing Continues; Left's Balakrishnan 'not Satisfied'

DMK's campaign for Tamil Nadu polls

Setting 200+ seat-target for the upcoming 2021 polls, DMK Chief M K Stalin has launched the "WeRejectADMK" campaign calling it "lack of governance" by the Palaniswami government and touching sensitive issues such as the NEET-related suicides, holding gram sabhas across the state. Holding gram Sabhas across Tamil Nadu, Stalin, his son Udhayanidhi and sister Kanimozhi have met people from all 234 constituencies to know the 10 years of the misrule of the ADMK Government and hear the people's sufferings. Congress too has bolstered DMK's efforts with Rahul Gandhi visiting the state thrice in the past 3 months - holding meeting with students, weavers, fishermen, farmers, MSME workers etc.

READ | MDMK Joins Hands With DMK, Gets Six Assembly Constituencies After Agreement With MK Stalin

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Published March 7th, 2021 at 09:57 IST

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