CPI(M), CPI to contest nine seats each

CPI and CPI(M) today announced they would contest nine seats each in the April 24 Lok Sabha elections in Tamil Nadu and decided against supporting AIADMK, BJP, DMK and Congress in the remaining 22 seats.
CPI(M) would contest from Coimbatore, Madurai, Kanyakumari, Chennai North, Dindugal, Trichy, Virudhunagar, Villupuram and Thanjavur constituencies, CPI state Secretary D Pandian and CPI (M) State Secretary G Ramakrishnan told the press here after both the parties identified the seats.
CPI would contest from Tenkasi, Nagapattinam, Puducherry, Tiruppur, Sivaganga, Dharmapuri, Cuddalore, Tiruvallur and Tuticorin constituencies, they said.
The presence of Left parties in eighteen constituencies, including the lone seat in Puducherry, is likely to have impact on the poll prospects of other outfits as it would throw up a multi-corner contest.

Replying to a query, Pandian and Ramakrishnan said the left parties would consider supporting other parties, including AAP, whoever approached them.
While CPI (M) would release its candidates list on March 16, CPI would release its list the following day, they said.

Both the parties would be expanding their presence in this election contesting together eighteen seats as against three each in 2009.
CPI and CPI(M), which had fought the last election in alliance with AIADMK, won one seat each.
However, the alliance broke due to differences over seat- sharing in the backdrop of major partner AIADMK refusing to allot three seats each to the Left parties.