Chennai: After several days of hectic parleys, Congress signed a pact with DMK to contest nine seats in Tamil Nadu and the lone Puducherry seat for Lok Sabha polls.
Racing ahead of its rivals, AIADMK and BJP, DMK sealed seat-sharing deals with allies Congress, VCK (2), CPI (2), CPM (2), and MDMK, IUML and KMDK (one each), sticking to its 2019 winning formula. The DMK-led alliance in Tamil Nadu had won 38 of the 39 seats in Tamil Nadu in the 2019 polls. In all, DMK will field candidates in 21 seats, as it did in 2019.
DMK’s leadership managed to convince Congress high command to retain the same number of seats it contested in 2019. The pact was signed in the presence of Tamil Nadu CM M K Stalin and AICC general secretaries K C Venugopal, Mukul Wasnik, and Tamil Nadu in-charge Ajoy Kumar at DMK headquarters. “We will win with a huge margin in all 40 seats,” TNCC chief K Selvaperunthagai told reporters, waving the copy of the agreement signed with DMK.
Kamal Haasan gets RS seat for next year
The deadlock in talks between DMK and Makkal Needhi Maiam ended with actor-turned politician Kamal Haasan climbing down and accepting a Rajya Sabha seat for next year. MNM had submitted a wish list of three LS seats and one RS seat. Haasan visited DMK headquarters and signed a pact with DMK chief and Tamil Nadu CM M K Stalin, in the presence of senior politicians. “I am not going to contest. But this alliance will have our full support. Since it is not for a position but for the country, I have shaken hands where I should shake hands,” Haasan told media persons later.