CHENNAI: On Wednesday, the ruling DMK signed the seat-sharing agreement with CPI, allocating five seats, one less than what the latter contested in 2021 Assembly elections as a part of the DMK-led Secular Progressive Alliance.
DMK president and Chief Minister MK Stalin and CPI State secretary M Veerapandiyan signed the agreement at DMK headquarters in the presence of senior leaders from both the parties.
The agreement comes days after hard bargaining by both sides.
CPI began its negotiation with a demand for a two-digit seat. However, DMK initiated the negotiation with as few as four seats.
DMK had conveyed to CPI that it could not offer more seats as it had accommodated the new alliance partners, including the DMDK and MNM.
In the last leg of negotiation, while CPI wanted one seat more than what they contested in 2021. Meanwhile, DMK wanted it to reduce one seat that they contested. On Tuesday night, CPI decided to contest five seats in the upcoming Assembly elections.
The party had earlier convened a meeting of its State-level functionary on Monday to discuss the offer made by the DMK.