CHENNAI: The ruling DMK is adamant on not increasing the seats to its ally CPM, while the latter is expecting a nominal increase in the seats than that it contested in the 2021 assembly election. During the second round of talks with the CPM on Tuesday, sources said, DMK offered five seats, one less than what CPM contested in 2021. CPM leaders, who were part of the negotiation committee, asked the DMK leaders to consider increasing the number of seats nominally, if not substantially.
Speaking to reporters after the negotiation, CPM state secretary P Shanmugam said though they understand the situation of the DMK, they (CPM) cannot accept fewer seats. “Since more allies have joined the DMK-led front, the committee asked us to reduce the number of seats. We understand their situation, but at the same time, we have asked them for a nominal increase in seats, which they said they would discuss with chief minister and let us know by tomorrow (Wednesday). The negotiation would start again tomorrow,” Shamugam told reporters.
A DMK leader indicated the party would most likely give CPM the same six seats that it had contested in 2021, or else there will be a nomiual increase. “We have new parties, including DMDK, MNM and other smaller ones, in the alliance. Since we (DMK) aim to contest in at least 165 constituencies, increasing seats for all the allies is not practically possible,” the DMK leader who preferred anonymity told TNIE.
Meanwhile, sources in the DMK also said the party has conveyed to Vaiko’s MDMK that it could offer them only four seats, two less than what it contested in 2021. MDMK had also insisted on letting the party contest in its own symbol rather than the ‘Rising Sun’ in which it had fought the previous assembly election. “However, we have turned down the request (on symbol), since it would be difficult for the party to reach the new symbol to the voters at the last minute,” the DMK source told TNIE.