DMK panel for seat-sharing talks for Assembly polls will be formed soon, says Stalin

While the Chief Minister said formal discussions with allies will begin shortly, party sources told TNIE that the DMK has already started talks with existing and prospective partners

Chief Minister MK Stalin, along with party cadre, taking out a rally in Chennai on Tuesday to pay tributes to CN Annadurai on his death anniversary  Express | Ashwin Prasath

CHENNAI: Chief Minister MK Stalin on Tuesday said the DMK will soon form a committee to start seat-sharing talks with alliance parties for the upcoming Assembly election.

However, sources privy to developments in the DMK told TNIE the party is already in talks with the existing alliance partners and “prospective allies”.

“The official committee will be convened in a week and talks will begin after the DMK’s youth wing functionaries meet in Virudhunagar on February 7. Since the alliance partners are with the DMK since 2019, it should not take much time to finalise the numbers. New allies will be accommodated only if they accept the number of seats proposed to them,” the source said.

On the death anniversary of former chief minister CN Annadurai, Stalin led a procession from Anna statue to the leader’s memorial on the Marina and paid floral tributes. He was accompanied by a large number of party functionaries and cadre.

When reporters asked him about the Union Budget, Stalin said, “As usual, only disappointment remains. There is nothing much for Tamil Nadu in the budget and people will teach them (BJP) a befitting lesson.”

To a question about “new enemies” (Vijay’s TVK), Stalin said, “I don’t see anybody as my enemy. Everyone is my friend and I give them due respect.”

AIADMK general secretary Edappadi K Palaniswami, former chief minister O Panneerselvam, AMMK general secretary TTV Dhinakaran and VK Sasikala were among those who paid homage at the memorial on the Marina.

Palaniswami, accompanied by senior leaders of the AIADMK and party cadre, paid floral tributes. In a post on X platform, Palaniswami hailed Annadurai as the pole star of people-centric Dravidian politics. “The victory envisioned by Anna by forging a people’s alliance to overthrow the then authoritarian Congress rule went on to shape the course of Tamil Nadu’s politics for the next century. Rescuing Tamil Nadu from the brutal grip of destructive forces is the historic duty of the AIADMK. With the support of people, let us put an end to this unrelenting DMK regime,” Palaniswami wrote.