CHENNAI: With the deadline to file nominations for the upcoming elections just hours away, the DMK allies are reportedly finding it hard to swallow the ‘big brother’ attitude of the party’s district-level leaders regarding the allocation of seats. According to sources, seat sharing has not been finalised in most of the nine districts heading to the rural local body elections. In districts, where the allocation is almost finalised, the allies are reportedly given a very low number of seats.
In Vellore district, for example, the biggest of the allies – Congress – got only four out of 136 union councilor seats and one out of the 14 district councilor seats. A Congress district functionary told TNIE: “Initially, we handed over a representation asking 30 per cent of the seats. Later, we came down to at least 10 per cent. But now, we got even fewer. Every action has an equal and opposite reaction. We believe they (DMK district leaders) will learn about that on the vote-counting day.”Other allies like the VCK, MDMK, TVK, and MMK are not better off either, according to sources.
The deadline for filing nominations is Wednesday 3 pm. In most of the districts, seat-sharing was not finalised till Monday evening. Seat sharing for the local body polls usually takes place at the district level and the DMK’s district secretaries deal with the district-level leaders of the allies.State General Secretary of TNCC GK Muralidharan told TNIE: “When DMK and TMC were in an alliance in 1996, the DMK allocated it 30 per cent of local-body seats across the State. The alliance registered more than 95 per cent victory in the local body election.
“Now, however, the attitude of the DMK leaders towards the allies have already created discontent among the cadres.” He said if the State leadership of DMK does not intervene, this issue would get reflected in the poll outcome.”DMK’s Organising Secretary RS Bharathi told TNIE: “In 1996, we had only two parties in the alliance. Now, we have nine parties and only the local leaders are aware of the local issues and the capability of the candidates of the allies. Hence, we leave the decision-making rights to the local leaders.”
Speaking about the alliance parties’ demands seeking a particular percentage of seats, RS Bharathi said: “In the local body election, the percentage of seats do not work out. Only the personality of the candidate bag votes.
Disgruntled allies
A Congress district functionary told TNIE: “Initially, we handed over a representation asking 30 per cent of the seats. Later, we came down to at least 10 per cent. But now, we got even fewer. Every action has an equal and opposite reaction. They (DMK district leaders) will learn about that on the vote-counting day.”