The first-round discussion between the Congress and the DMK which began here on Friday to finalise the constituencies and number of seats to be contested in the May 16 election to Tamil Nadu Assembly remained inconclusive.
Ghulam Nabi Azad, leader of the Opposition in the Rajya Sabha, told reporters after the hour-long meeting with DMK president M Karunanidhi that the discussion was preliminary in nature. “We discussed about the poll strategy and about other political parties that are going to be the part of the DMK-Congress combine,” said Azad.
The Congress leader was accompanied by Mukul Wasnik, and EVKS Elangovan, the TNCC chief. Azad had called on Karunanidhi last month to revive the alliance between the parties which was snapped by the DMK in early 2013 following the failure of the then UPA Government to bail out Karunanidhi’s daughter Kanimozhi who was arrested and jailed in connection with the 2G Spectrum Scam.
Kanimozhi and M K Stalin were present during the meeting held at the Gopalapuram residence of Karunanidhi. There were reports that the number of seats to be contested by the Congress would be announced on Friday. But Azad said the number of seats to be allocated to the Congress has not been firmed-up.
“We have not firmed up the numbers. We have been given sometime. The DMK also has to think about the numbers. We will discuss among ourselves, with AICC president, PCC president and other Congress leaders. Next time we will be able to firm up the numbers,” said Azad.
Stalin said Azad had placed before the DMK his views on seat-sharing. “Our leader Kalaignar (Karunanidhi) also explained his position. Azad will come back again after apprising his party high-command about today’s meeting, which was very cordial,” he said.
In the 2011 Assembly elections, the DMK had allocated 63 seats to the Congress out of which the party won five seats. This time the Congress is demanding at least 40 seats in the backdrop of a faction led by G K Vasan walking out of the party and reviving the Tamil Manila Congress. The announcement by the DMDK to join the People’s Welfare Front (PWF), has enthused the Congress cadre as the DMK would have enough seats to spare.
Though the Congress-DMK talks were on expected lines, what made the political scene enliven was the Thursday meeting between Karunanidhi and his Madurai-based estranged son M K Alagiri. The Madurai strongman, who was expelled from the DMK in early 2014 called on Karunanidhi on Thursday, reportedly at the instance of Selvi, his sister. According to sources in the DMK, Karunanidhi wants Alagiri back in the party as the latter has considerable influence in the southern belt. The campaign by Stalin who has usurped the party control, is yet to make any impact among the cadre.