CHENNAI: Sensing the importance of beginning the election campaign at the earliest, the DMK has finalised the number of seats to the Left parties in the Secular Progressive Alliance, giving two Lok Sabha seats each to CPI and CPM. Seat-sharing talks with other partners such as Congress, VCK and MDMK are expected to be finalised within a couple of days.
Following consensus on seat-sharing, CPI state secretary R Mutharasan and CPM state secretary K Balakrishnan officially sealed the electoral pact with CM MK Stalin. The agreement mentions the number of Lok Sabha constituencies allocated to the two Left parties, but specific constituencies are to be declared later.
Giving details about the next phase of meeting with DMK leaders for seat-sharing, VCK leader D Ravikumar told TNIE, “Since our party president Thol Thirumavalavan is out of station, we were not able to take part in the talks. I am optimistic seat-sharing will be finalised within a couple of days.”
TNCC president K Selvaperunthagai emphasised that there is no delay or urgency in the seat-sharing talks. He said the DMK-Congress poll pact for the 2019 general election was signed only in late March.
According to DMK insiders, the party had informed all allies well in advance that there would be no change in the number of seats, and only adjustments based on ground reality and wishes of alliance cadre would be effected. Talks with alliance partners are reportedly progressing as per the initial proposal, they added.
Although the DMK has inked poll pacts with four allies till now, it has not spelt out the constituencies given to the Left parties, and it was mentioned in the poll pacts of IUML and KMDK that constituencies mentioned in the pact are subject to change based on talks with other partners. DMK sources said since several parties asked for various seats, which were bagged by other parties, they have to wait for consensus between them over allocating constituencies.
This was acknowledged by Balakrishnan while addressing reporters after inking the pact with DMK on Thursday.
Sources in the Congress and Makkal Neethi Maiam confirmed that the grand old party’s national leadership is speaking with Kamal Haasan to make him contest on the Congress’ symbol.
Similarly, MDMK, which contested the Erode Lok Sabha seat under DMK’s Rising Sun symbol, is pursuing to use its ‘Top’ symbol.
