As the deadlock persists in negotiations between the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) and some of its key allies, Chief Minister M K Stalin convened discussions with senior party leaders on Thursday at the DMK headquarters, Anna Arivalayam. This marks the second round of deliberations within the week aimed at finalizing the allocation of seats for alliance partners, underscoring the party’s commitment to resolving the impasse.The DMK’s alliance committee, comprising prominent figures such as party General Secretary Duraimurugan, K N Nehru, T R Baalu, and A Raja, was instrumental in these discussions. Earlier in the week, the committee convened with Stalin to address the deadlock, demonstrating the party’s proactive approach to coalition management.
Sources within the DMK revealed that negotiations with the Marumalarchi Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (MDMK) led by Vaiko have seen progress, with the DMK agreeing to allocate one Lok Sabha seat in response to MDMK’s demand for two seats. While discussions on a Rajya Sabha seat remain inconclusive, there is a possibility of a concession at a later stage. Additionally, MDMK’s request to contest under its own symbol has been granted by the DMK.
However, the impasse persists with other key allies, particularly the Congress and the Makkal Needhi Maiam (MNM) led by Kamal Haasan. DMK’s rejection of Haasan’s demand for two seats has led to a stalemate, further complicated by uncertainties surrounding MNM’s choice of electoral symbol. The negotiations with Congress and the Viduthalai Chiruthaigal Katchi (VCK) are ongoing, with decisions regarding seat allocation and electoral symbols expected to be finalized shortly.
In the midst of these deliberations, the DMK has already allocated the Ramanathapuram constituency to the Indian Union Muslim League (IUML) and the Namakkal constituency to the Kongu Makkal Desiya Katchi. Furthermore, the Communist Party of India (CPI) and the Communist Party of India (Marxist) (CPM) have been allotted two constituencies each. The VCK’s demand for three seats, including two in reserved constituencies, remains under consideration.