INDIA bloc seat-sharing in Tamil Nadu: Congress gets 9, DMK left with 21

DMK President and Chief Minister MK Stalin and TNCC chief K Selvaperunthagai finalised the deal, in the presence of AICC leaders KC Venugopal and Ajoy Kumar.

Addressing reporters, Venugopal exuded confidence in the DMK-led combine winning all 40 seats in Tamil Nadu and Puducherry, and said the “bonding” between the Congress and the DMK “is intact”.

நாடாளுமன்ற தேர்தல் 2024!

திமுக தலைமையிலான கூட்டணியில், தமிழ்நாட்டில் காங்கிரஸ் கட்சிக்கு 9 நாடாளுமன்ற தொகுதிகள் மற்றும் புதுச்சேரி தொகுதி உட்பட மொத்தம் 10 தொகுதிகள் பங்கீடு!#Election2024 pic.twitter.com/Vcn3oYlViM

— DMK (@arivalayam) March 9, 2024

Also Read: INDIA bloc has conceded defeat, says Prime Minister Modi in TN

Other alliance partners

In January, DMK held talks with Congress, as part of the INDIA bloc. Tamil Nadu Congress Committee President KS Alagiri told reporters then that the talks were very satisfactory and they would soon take things forward.

Click on the image to enlarge.

On 24 February, the DMK allotted one Lok Sabha constituency each to two of its allies.

While the Indian Union Muslim League (IUML) was allotted the Ramanathapuram segment in southern Tamil Nadu, the Dravidian party earmarked Namakkal constituency for the west-Tamil Nadu-based partner Kongunadu Makkal Desiya Katchi (KMDK). The KMDK candidate will contest on DMK symbol.

KM Kader Mohideen, national president of the IUML, said that his party’s incumbent MP from Ramanathapuram, Navas Kani, will be renominated.

On 29 February, the DMK then allotted Left parties CPI and CPI(M) two seats each.

On Friday, 8 March, the DMK finalised seat-sharing talks with the Marumalarchi Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (MDMK), as well as Viduthalai Chiruthaigal Katchi (VCK). While the former was allotted one seat, the latter was allotted two.

Also Read: Kamal Haasan’s MNM joins DMK-led alliance

Kamal Haasan’s party joins DMK-led alliance

Aside from seat-sharing talks, actor Kamal Haasan-led Makkal Needhi Maiam (MNM) on Saturday, 9 March, joined the ruling DMK-led alliance in Tamil Nadu ahead of the Lok Sabha polls.

Amid speculations that Haasan’s party might be allotted seats to contest the Parliament polls, the DMK offered MNM one Rajya Sabha seat that would fall vacant in 2025.

MNM will campaign for the DMK-led front in 39 Lok Sabha seats in Tamil Nadu and the lone Puducherry segment, according to the understanding arrived at by the two leaders.

Speaking to reporters after clinching the meeting, Haasan said his move to join the alliance was for the sake of the country and not for any consideration for the post.

This leaves the DMK with 21 seats out of the 39 in Tamil Nadu.

(With PTI inputs)