Seat-sharing talks stalled in TN, Cong high command deputes KC Venugopal to break deadlock
As DT Next had reported, the second-tier leaders of the DMK have strongly opposed giving the same seats that the Congress had won last Lok Sabha elections.
CHENNAI: With its seat-sharing talks with the DMK remaining stalled over the number and choice of constituencies that the Congress would contest, the high command has deputed big guns to join the discussions, on Saturday.
Sources said the AICC general secretary (organisation), known to be close to Rahul Gandhi, and senior leader Mukul Wasnik will reach Chennai in the afternoon and will hold discussions with DMK president and Chief Minister MK Stalin at the DMK headquarters in the evening.
As DT Next had reported, the second-tier leaders of the DMK have strongly opposed giving the same seats that the Congress had won last Lok Sabha elections. However, the Tamil Nadu Congress Committee has rejected the move, strongly claiming stake for the existing seats.
This tug-of-war has delayed the seat-sharing talking in the INDIA bloc, which is led by the DMK in Tamil Nadu. Sensing an opportunity to garner allies and weaken the DMK, the opposition major AIADMK have been sending feelers - both openly and covertly - to the Congress. Some leaders in the Grand Old Party have been eyeing the AIADMK's overtures as leverage while discussing the matter with the DMK. However, sources told DT Next, Rahul Gandhi is opposed to any such shift, deciding to stick with the present alliance.