AIADMK starts seat sharing talks

“The Opposition DMK is afraid to contest the civic polls and we are eager to face the civic polls, however the DMK is pleading with the court seeking stay for local body elections. However, the Supreme Court has allowed conducting elections apart from the nine new districts. We hope the SEC will soon conduct the elections,” state Fisheries Minister D Jayakumar told reporters adding that the public were upset with the DMK for delaying the local body polls.

CM Palaniswami while addressing reporters in Salem said, “We have invited the allies to finalise the seat-sharing agreement ahead of local body polls.”

Party leaders from BJP, PMK, DMDK and TMC attended the alliance party meeting at the AIADMK headquarters. Former union minister Pon Radhakrishnan, PMK president GK Mani, DMDK leaders Alagapuram Elangovan and BS Gnanadesigan participated in the seat sharing talks with AIADMK leaders.

“The seat-sharing talks with AIADMK leaders Palaniswami and Panneerselvam has begun. The BJP has not discussed about the percentage of seats as of now. But the poll strategies were discussed. This is just a preliminary round of alliance meeting,” Pon Radhakrishnan told reporters.

“Functionaries from new districts will now work for the party in the first phase of the civic polls,” an AIADMK senior told DT Next.