The DMK inched closer to finalising its seat sharing agreements, allotting the Vellore seat to IUML.
Matters, however, remained unsolved with the VCK. The Dalit party had asked for three reserved constituencies but DMK has been insisting on giving it the Chidambaram (SC) constituency. With VCK leaders refusing, they have agreed to come back on Thursday morning to beat out the matter with DMK patriarch M Karunanidhi.
“The agreement to allot us only Chidambaram was ready. We had contested two constituencies in 2009 and had lost Villupuram with a razor-thin margin of 2,797 votes. So, we had asked for Villupuram and Kancheepuram as well,” said a source in the VCK.
“Our leadership has been asked to come back tomorrow to finalise the talks with Kalaignar himself,” the source added.
The IUML, however, had it easier, getting the Vellore seat it had asked for. The party had won the seat in the 2009 elections and had contested under the DMK symbol. This time, it would contest under its own symbol, the ladder, and would announce its candidate on March 8.
The truck with the IUML and the disagreement with the VCK took place in the evening, hours after a meeting of all the allies of the DMK front in the afternoon. The meeting was held to discuss co-ordination and campaign strategy for the coming polls. Speaking at the event, Karunanidhi candidly told his allies that his health would not permit him to campaign widely, even going so far to say his voice was not holding up.
He also urged the allies to avoid negative campaigning. “When we go to the people, we should only place forth the argument that it is only secular parties that win the majority. We should not dismiss or insult anyone, and retain our etiquette. We must communicate to the people that this alliance is for honesty, integrity and the common man,” said Karunanidhi.