CHENNAI: Seat-sharing talks between the ruling DMK and the Left parties are stuck, as the two allies, CPM and CPI, want more seats than the six each allotted to them in the 2021 Assembly polls in the DMK alliance.
Sources in the CPM said the next round of talks with the DMK has now been postponed to March 17.
Reiterating the party’s stand, CPM state secretary P Shanmugam said the party had already conveyed its demand to the DMK’s negotiation team. Speaking to reporters in Chennai, he said the DMK had cited the entry of several new parties into the alliance as a reason for not being able to allot more seats.
Shanmugam, however, said the explanation was not convincing. He pointed out that the Congress party got more seats than the last poll and the Desiya Murpokku Dravida Kazhagam (DMDK), which recently joined the alliance, was also expected to get more seats than other existing alliance partners.
“If more seats can be given to them, there is no reason why the Left parties should not get more,” he argued.
Meanwhile, M Veerapandian, state secretary of the CPI, said talks with the DMK were continuing and any final decision would be taken by the party’s executive committee.
According to sources, the DMK has suggested that some allies reduce their seat demand as more parties have joined the coalition. However, the CPI has also sought more seats than the six it contested in the 2021 polls.
Cadres from the Left parties told TNIE that the proposed allotment of around 10 seats to the DMDK has caused concern. They said reducing the seats for long-time allies could affect the “chemistry” within the alliance.
The CPI has convened its executive committee meeting on Sunday to discuss the DMK’s reported offer of four seats for the upcoming polls.