DMK rebuffs DMDK’s last minute request to be accommodated in its alliance, says no seats

“DMDK deputy secretary and Vijayakant’s brother-in-law L K Sudhish made a last-ditch effort to join the DMK-led alliance after the negotiations brokered by the BJP with AIADMK failed earlier in the day.

Even as television channels beamed images of Vijayakant’s portrait being fixed and subsequently removed from the dais of NDA rally, Sudhish called DMK treasurer Duraimurugan over phone.

Duraimurugan, however, declined Sudhish’s proposal and subsequently put out a statement to that effect. Speaking to DT Next, the DMK treasurer said, “Sudhish called me over phone. 

He said they have decided to quit the AIADMK and join the DMK alliance. I told him (Sudhish) that our leader (Stalin) was not in town.”

He said that he conveyed to Sudhish that the DMK had allotted seats to all its allies and did not have anything to offer to his party.  

When asked if they would consider accommodating the DMDK by taking back a few seats from allies, the DMK treasurer said, “Our allies have signed the pact. We are contesting in only 20 seats. Where do we have seats to offer? I don’t have the authority to decide on apportioning seats.”

Asked if he had conveyed the DMDK’s approach to party chief Stalin, he added; “I tried to reach our president over phone. He was sleeping. I decided not to disturb him as it was not an urgent matter.”  

DMK sources with knowledge of feelers from DMDK said they had earlier tried to reach Stalin, but he advised them to approach Duraimurugan who made good use of it to give a taste of its own medicine to the DMDK which had embarrassed the DMK by informally agreeing and later deciding to go it alone ahead of the 2016 Assembly election. 

Three years ago, former DMK president M Karunanidhi had suffered an embarrassment after expressing hope that Vijayakant would join them.

Meanwhile, the DMK has extended the deadline for the filing of nominations  by a day to March 8. Originally, the DMK had advised its cadre to submit the applications for the Parliamentary and Assembly bypolls before 6pm on March 7. 

The extension was issued owing to the Virudhunagar conference for which most of the DMK leaders had left the city. Several party seniors are yet to file their applications for the LS polls.

In a boost to the DMK-led alliance, farmers from Tank and River Ayacutdars Welfare Association has resolved to support it in the forthcoming Lok Sabha polls. The association held a state executive meeting on Wednesday to discuss the issue.

The MDMK held a general body meeting in Chennai on Wednesday and passed resolutions to defeat the Sanathana Dharma forces and bring the DMK to power.  Four resolutions were passed in the meeting, which was chaired by presidium chairman Thiruppur S Duraisamy. In the first resolution, it was stated, “We (MDMK) have the historical responsibility of defeating the Sanathana Dharma forces and uniting the Dravidian forces. Hence, we must work tirelessly to bring victory to the DMK-led alliance in the upcoming Parliamentary elections and Assembly bypolls.” The party also vowed to prevent communal forces to set foot in the state, as they are operating with the intention to damage the Tamil language and culture.  

It also recalled that the BJP had caused significant damage to Tamil Nadu by giving permission for Karnataka to prepare a Detailed Project Report (DPR) for Mekedatu dam, among other decisions taken in the detriment to the state’s interest.  The MDMK also condemned Governor Banwarilal Purohit for not releasing seven life convicts in the Rajiv Gandhi case even after the State government passed an resolution in the Assembly to this effect.