CHENNAI : After delay and speculation about tough negotiations happening behind the scenes, the DMK on Friday inked poll pacts with allies Viduthalai Chiruthaigal Katchi (VCK) and Marumalarchi Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (MDMK). The ruling party gave VCK two LS seats and MDMK one, a repeat of the seat count the parties got in the DMK alliance in the 2019 LS polls, but acceded to their demand to contest on their own symbol and not on DMK’s ‘Rising Sun’.
In 2019, VCK contested on DMK symbol in one seat. MDMK candidate, too, had won the party’s lone seat on DMK symbol.
As per the poll pact signed on Friday, VCK got Chidambaram and Villupuram, the two reserved seats it contested last time, as tentative constituencies for the Lok Sabha election. MDMK’s agreement did not mention the seat. Party general secretary Vaiko said it will be decided later. VCK’s demand for one more general seat, however, was not accepted. Both VCK president Thol Thirumavalavan and Vaiko said the pact was satisfactory.
Sources said the stumbling blocks in sharing of seats between the VCK and the DMK were cleared after a delegation led by Thirumavalavan met the CM at the secretariat earlier in the day to thank him for passing the ‘Tamil Nadu Development Action Plan for the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes Act, 2024’ Bill.
TNCC only party left to finalise LS seat pact with DMK in INDIA bloc
VCK leaders were informed about the practical difficulties in accepting the party’s demand and they were persuaded to accept the poll pact as per the 2019 model.
Subsequently, VCK leaders discussed the DMK’s offer in detail among themselves and decided to accept it.
The VCK delegation later arrived at DMK’s headquarters and formally signed the pact. Thirumavalavan later told the media that they are firm on continuing the anti-BJP alliance and keeping in mind the prevailing situation in the DMK-led alliance, they wholeheartedly accepted the pact. Besides allocating two seats, the DMK has also accepted the VCK’s demand to contest both seats on symbol of their choice.
Earlier in the day, MDMK general secretary Vaiko also signed the pact with DMK president MK Stalin. To be a permanent supporter of the Dravidian movement, the party accepted the offer, Vaiko said.
Replying to a question on whether DMK gave an assurance on a Rajya Sabha seat for the party, he said since the Rajya Sabha election was due only after 15 months, there was no need to discuss that at the moment.
So far, DMK has successfully negotiated poll pacts with IUML, KMDK, CPM, CPI, VCK, and MDMK, allocating nine seats out of the 40 Lok Sabha seats in Tamil Nadu and Puducherry.
TNCC is the only party yet to finalise its seat-sharing arrangement with the DMK, and it is anticipated that the agreement will be reached soon.