DMK begins talk with CPM and MDMK, both parties demand more LS seats than 2019

CHENNAI: The ruling DMK, which leads the INDIA bloc in Tamil Nadu, on Sunday opened seat-sharing talks with ally CPM and MDMK for the upcoming Lok Sabha polls.

A delegation of Communist Party of India (Marxist) leaders led by the party's talks committee chairperson P Sampath held talks with the DMK seat sharing committee led by its treasurer TR Baalu at Anna Arivalayam (DMK headquarters).

According to the CPM leaders, the wish list of proposed LS constituencies has been submitted to the DMK and the party is willing to contest in five seats including Nagapattinam which belongs to CPI this time.

Along with their sitting seats (Madurai and Coimbatore), the CPM asked for Tenkasi, Kanniyakumari and Nagapattinam constituencies.

Exuding hope, Sampath said, the CPM and DMK will reach a smooth agreement soon. "Today, we held talks with the DMK. The preliminary negotiation went very smoothly. We both exchanged our views. Every party will express its desire to contest in more seats than previous time. There is hope that both sides will reach a smooth agreement, " he told reporters.

However, the CPM leaders indicated that if DMK allocates the same number of seats as in 2019, a necessary political decision will be taken by the party high command.

Minutes after the discussion with the Marxist party, the DMK held talks with the Marumalarchi Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (MDMK) at Anna Arivalayam.

A delegation led by MDMK praesidium chairman Auditor A Arjunaraj held talks with the DMK seat-sharing committee.

Speaking to the reporters at Anna Arivalayam, Arjunaraj said, "The talks were smooth, satisfying and enjoyable. We have asked for 2 Lok Sabha seats and one Rajya Sabha seat."

The MDMK, which had contested in DMK symbol in 2019, has now decided to contest in its own symbol (top). Our party's stand is to contest on our own symbol, Arjunaraj said, adding that the next round of talks will take place once the Chief Minister Stalin arrives from Spain.

However, a senior leader of DMK said the party's seat-sharing committee has refused its ally MDMK's demand for (2+1) seats during the first round of talks. "Our party is thinking of allocating one Lok Sabha seat to MDMK and we will insist that they contest on our symbol (Rising Sun) instead of their symbol (top), " the senior leader said on the condition of anonymity.

Meanwhile, the DMK seat-sharing committee invited its other allies VCK, IUML and KMDK for talks on February 12.