Tamil Nadu: DMK seals alliance deals, gives 10 seats to Congress, keeps 20 for self

Dravida Munnetra Kazgham (DMK) on Tuesday sealed the seat-sharing arrangement with Congress and other alliance partners for the upcoming Lok Sabha elections.

The DMK has allocated 10 seats to Congress, 10 seats to other alliance partners and kept 20 seats for itself.

Speaking to media persons after the seat-sharing talks, DMK President MK Stalin said, "We have allocated 10 seats to our alliance partner Congress in Tamil Nadu and Puducherry for the Lok Sabha elections. Other 10 have been given to our other alliance partners. DMK will contest on the remaining 20 seats. From 7th March, we will begin the identification of the seats for both DMK and alliance partners."

He also said that MMK cannot be accommodated in the seat-sharing arrangement.

Earlier in the day, Communist Party of India-Marxist (CPI-M) leader K. Balakrishnan had announced an alliance with DMK and said that they will be contesting from2 parliamentary constituencies out of 40 constituencies in Tamil Nadu and Pondicherry.

Speaking to media-person, he said, "In the upcoming Parliament Elections, to defeat BJP-AIADMK-PMK alliance in Tamil Nadu, CPI-M has made an agreement with DMK. We have allied on 2 parliamentary constituencies out of 40 constituencies in Tamil Nadu and Puducherry. Also, in the by-elections, we will support DMK in all the constituencies."

On Monday, the Communist Party of India (CPI) and Dravida Munnetra Kazgham (DMK) had signed a poll pact for the upcoming Lok Sabha elections.

On the same day, Viduthalai Chiruthaigal Katchi (VCK) founder-leader Thol Thirumavalavan had also announced that his party has reached an agreement with DMK for two constituencies for the forthcoming general elections.