DMK’s formula for allies: Seat share proportionate to vote share

Political analyst Prashant Kishor’s Indian Political Action Committee (I-PAC) that is formulating DMK’s strategy studied the vote bank of Congress and found it to be 7.8 per cent. This is less than the 12.76 per cent votes it had secured in the company DMK in last year’s Lok Sabha election but more than the meagre 4.37 per cent it got while contesting alone in the 2014.

DMK had allotted 63 and 41 seats to Congress in 2011 and 2016. Though the DMK is in no mood to be similarly generous this time, the analysts’ forecast of over seven per cent – the third highest after the two Dravidian majors – could influence the DMK leadership’s decision towards Congress. This could even sway some of the DMK seniors who consider the national party a baggage in the poll battle.

“We know the Congress has an assured vote share of not less than 4 per cent in the State. This is crucial from an election point of view, given that we lost many seats in two and three-digit margins in 2016 Assembly polls. Our leadership is in good terms with the Congress high command. So, there is no question of reconsidering ties. The big question is the number of seats. We will be frugal in seat allocation this time because we have more allies on board now,” said a party senior privy to the study.