The DMK-led United Progressive Alliance in Tamil Nadu on Tuesday successfully finalised and formalised the seat sharing process for the upcoming Lok Sabha elections. MK Stalin, who turned 66 on March 1 (his first birth day since getting elevated as party chief in August 2017), told reporters at the party headquarters that his party would contest 20 seats while the alliance partners have been allocated 20 seats out of the total 40 seats at stake (39 seats from Tamil Nadu and the lone seat from Puducherry).
Though the AIADMK-led front has almost finalised the seat sharing talks with its partners, a final announcement about the composition of the line-up would be made only by late Tuesday night or Wednesday morning, according to AIADMK leaders. A clear picture would be announced by Wednesday because Prime Minister Narendra Modi is flying down to Chennai to address the election rally convened by the AIADMK-led front.
Stalin said that the CPI, the CPI(M) and VCK have been allocated two seats each while the MDMK, KMDK , Muslim League and Indian Jananayaka Katchi were given one seat each. The DMK had allocated ten seats to the Congress (nine in Tamil Nadu and the lone Puducherry seat). Manithaneya Makkal Katchi, an Islamic outfit which had been with the DMK for the last three years could not be accommodated this time because of shortage of seats. “They will be given due consideration in the next election,” said Stalin while M H Jawahirullah of the MMK left the DMK headquarters with a sheepish smile.
Stalin also announced that the DMK-led front would launch its election campaign on March 13 from Kanyakumari where Rahul Gandhi, the young president of the Congress would address a mammoth rally.
Though Vaiko of the MDMK had demanded three Lok Sabha seats, Stalin bought peace with him with one seat. “Vaiko would be nominated to the Rajya Sabha in June 2019, when the next vacancy from the State is due,” said Stalin. He also disclosed that Vaiko, who was with the BJP-led NDA in the 2014 Lok Sabha election would lead the propaganda for the UPA all over Tamil Nadu.
With the DMK choosing to content with 20 seats, it has become clear that some hard bargaining took place in the party head- quarters with the representatives of the Lefts and the VCK. Leaders of the DMK had made it known earlier that they would keep aside 15 seats for the alliance partners while the party itself would contest a minimum of 25 seats to make its presence felt in New Delhi during the Government formation.
All eyes are now on DMDK leader Vijayakanth , who is expected to announce his course of action late Tuesday or Wednesday morning. The DMDK was the lead alliance partner of the NDA in Tamil Nadu during the 2014 Lok Sabha election when it had contested 14 seats. This time it may have to be satisfied with two or three seats to be allocated by the AIADMK.
In the AIADMK-led front, the PMK and the BJP have been allocated seven and five Lok Sabha seats while smaller parties like the PT, and IJP were given one seat each. The Tamil Manila Congress too is expected to cast with the AIADMK-led front.