Tamil Nadu’s rival fronts continue seat-sharing talks
By IANSMonday, February 21, 2011
CHENNAI - Tamil Nadu’s two major political parties - the ruling DMK and opposition AIADMK - Monday continued seat-sharing negotiations with their respective allies for the upcoming polls to the 234-member assembly.
The DMK’s seat-sharing panel held talks with the representatives of VCK led by Thol Thirumavalavan.
In the 2006 elections, VCK contested in nine constituencies and won two.
Speaking to reporters after the talks, Thirumavalavan, a Lok Sabha MP, said the first round of talks are over and the number of seats will be finalised in the next round to be held later.
Till date, DMK has inked a seat sharing deal with PMK, allotting it 31 assembly constituencies and one Rajya Sabha seat.
The party held first round of talks with its major ally Congress Sunday and another round is expected to be held based on the inputs from the later’s high command.
The Congress is said to be demanding around 90 seats as well as share in power if the alliance is voted back to power.
In 2006 elections, the Congress contested in 48 constituencies and won 34.
At the AIADMK’s headquarters here, the party’s seat sharing committee met the representatives of its long-time ally MDMK for a second time but the talks ended without inking any deal.
Speaking to reporters, an MDMK official expressed satisfaction at the progress of talks and said the number of seats will be finalised by the leaders of the respective parties.
The MDMK contested 36 seats in 2006 and won six of them. However, the party suffered due to defections by its legislators thereby bringing down its strength in the assembly to three.
AIADMK, which has held two round of talks with the two communist parties, has reached agreement for seven seats with four parties, allotting two to Puthiya Tamizhagam (PT), three to MNMK and one each to the Republican Party of India (RPI) and the All India Moovendar Munnani Kazhagam (AIMMK).
AIADMK is also expecting Vijayakant-promoted DMDK to be in its fold.
Meanwhile PT has expressed dissatisfaction getting two seats and wants AIADMK to give seven more.
