Bargain for seats begins: DMK gets sense of Congress, allies’ seat expectations for Assembly polls

It is believed that the Congress delegation which visited Anna Arivalayam a fortnight ago was said to have revealed the numbers to the DMK high command.

 A highly placed DMK source privy to the meeting between Stalin and AICC in-charge for Tamil Nadu, Dinesh Gundu Rao led Congress delegation, said the Congress delegation had informed DMK informally that they were expecting not less than 22 seats for the ensuing Assembly polls.

 The DMK source who was familiar with the discussions between the DMK top brass and their poll consultant I-PAC (Indian Political Action Committee) said the Dravidian major was only considering somewhere between 15 and 20 seats for the Congress, which had managed to get 41 seats in the previous Assembly poll.

 The source also said that I-PAC has advised them to restrict allies within 40 seats so that the DMK would contest in not less than 185195 seats.

 Another DMK source unwilling to be named said that VCK leader Thol Tirumavalavan had informed Stalin during a recent informal meeting that his party was working actively in 17 constituencies.

 “They (DMK leaders) had assumed that Tiruma was only informing them of the constituencies their party was focusing on in the northern region. Everyone knows the DMK will not give so many seats to any ally in the coming election,” said a DMK senior who did not wish to be named.

 When asked, another DMK leader reacted saying, “It is too early to finalise numbers. We don’t know if the alliance composition might be the same or change. But, we are certain that our leader will not be generous like he was in 2016.

 “We have more parties in the alliance now. Also, numbers will be finalised only in consultation with Congress national leadership. Our leader might give (up) a few extra seats if the Congress leaders from Delhi personally request.”

 Speculation about Congress expectation comes in the backdrop of rumours about I-PAC’s warning to DMK that the ruling AIADMK party was again targeting its allies’ seats.

 The DMK, however, could compromise on its tally to an extent by repeating the 2019 formula and make a few smaller partners like MMK, which was denied seats in the Lok Sabha elections, and Perambalur MP T Pachaimuthu’s IJK, Eswaran’s KMDK and even VCK to contest in its “Rising Sun” symbol.