CHENNAI: Both the sides started early this time, but are yet to seal pre-poll deals with their partners. The DMK-Congress talks ended with no conclusion being reached on Tuesday. While Congress wanted 30 seats, DMK is ready to offer only 20. State Congress chief KS Alagiri said the talks went of “smoothly” but no decision was reached.
“The pact will be sealed in the next couple of days, following which Rahul Gandhi and MK Stalin will conduct a joint campaign,” he said. The TNCC has also scheduled interviews for party aspirants on March 6 and 7. CPM State secretary K Balakrishnan and others also met the DMK’s seat-sharing committee on Tuesday morning, and had their first-round of talks. Similarly, a CPI team also met the DMK and said their talks went smoothly.
The DMK has also started interviewing party aspirants in constituencies in nine southern districts. The interview was overseen by DMK president Stalin, general secretary Duraimurugan, and treasurer TR Baalu. Meanwhile, DMK principal secretary KN Nehru said, “The DMK’s special meeting has been scheduled on March 7 in Tiruchy. It would be a State-level workers’ meeting, in which, Stalin will release a 10-year vision for Tamil Nadu.”
In the AIADMK camp, meanwhile, a PMK delegation met with the senior ally to identify the seats they want. A team led by PMK president GK Mani, former union minister AK Moorthi, PMK spokesperson K Balu and Dhanraj met the AIADMK team, and submitted a list of 45 constituencies, from which 23 will be chosen. PMK is the first party to have inked pact with the AIADMK. On the other hand, a day after high drama — and veiled threats to walk out DMDK reportedly reached an amicable settlement with the ruling AIADMK on Tuesday.
A delegation of DMDK met their AIADMK counterparts at a luxury hotel in the city and reached a settlement. According to sources, the poll pact will be inked in a couple of days. Talks with BJP, too, are likely to conclude soon, said senior functionaries. The problem currently seems to be the perceived ‘interference’ of the BJP in the affairs of the AIADMK during the seat-sharing talks. “The suggestion to accommodate AMMK has irked senior leaders in the party,” said sources.
Though BJP leaders deny any such suggestions being made, AIADMK functionaries say the feeling has increased after the talks on Sunday midnight. AMMK leader TTV Dhinakaran responded to the development saying his party was ready to align with any party to stall DMK from coming to power. BJP sources said that the talks might reach the climax on Wednesday, well before Union Home Minister Amit Shah flies down to Nagercoil on March 7. BJP national president JP Nadda may visit Tamil Nadu on March 10. With the filing of nominations set to begin in nine days, all parties are looking to wrap up alliance deals well in time.