DMK asks dist secs to amicably finalise seats with allies

DMK general secretary and state water resources minister Duraimurugan, in an announcement made in this regard, said the district secretaries/district in charge are advised to hold seat sharing talks with district representatives of Secular Progressive Alliance and reach amicable settlement with them for the rural local body polls to be held in nine districts.

DMK has given the directive to its district heads a day after two rival alliances suffered fracture. On Tuesday, PMK, a key ally of AIADMK, announced its decision to go it alone in the nine-district civic polls.

DMDK, which suffered a miserable defeat in the April 6 Assembly poll, has also declared its intent to divorce TTV Dinakaran led AMMK and face the polls on its own. Back in 2020 when elections were held for all but the nine districts, the DMK had instructed its local leaders to finalize poll pact with allies in the districts.

Demand for panchayat councilor and chairman ticket is likely to be high in the ruling alliance this time as the DMK led secular progressive alliance, unlike in the first phase when it had contested as an opposition party, would have the advantate of being in power.

Given the party’s overwhelmingly good showing in the 2020 rural local body elections even as Opposition, district heads of the DMK in the nine districts are likely to face heavy greater demand from the allies for seats.