CHENNAI: The ruling DMK has identified and allocated constituencies for its allies, giving up 12 sitting seats to the Congress, DMDK, VCK and CPM.
Although the number of seats was finalised earlier, the identification of constituencies was completed only on Saturday afternoon. Congress, which contested 25 seats and won 18 in 2021, has been allocated 28 seats. Of these, the party has retained 16 sitting constituencies.
The newly added ally, DMDK, has been allotted 10 seats. Of these, Virudhunagar, Pallavaram, Tiruttani and Gudiyatham were DMK’s sitting seats, while Vriddhachalam was a Congress-held seat, where DMDK leader Premalatha Vijayakant will contest.
Congress has been allocated the following constituencies: Ponneri (SC), Sriperumbudur (SC), Sholinganallur, Udhagamandalam, Erode (East), Aranthangi, Cuddalore, Mayiladuthurai, Karaikudi, Sivakasi, Thiruvadanai, Thiruvaikundam, Nanguneri, Colachel, Vilavancode, Killiyoor, Velachery, Oothangarai (SC), Thuraiyur (SC), Kavundampalayam, Attur (SC), Pennagaram, Singanallur, Ambasamudram, Krishnagiri, Usilampatti, Sankarankovil and Melur.
Similarly, VCK, which contested six seats and won four in 2021, has been allocated eight seats this time. Of these, the party has retained four constituencies it contested in 2021. The DMK has given up two of its sitting constituencies to the VCK, including Panruti.
CPM, which was allocated five seats, one less than what it contested in 2021, has got three new constituencies apart from two of its sitting MLA seats.