Political prudence or just pressure? DMK allies turn up heat over seat-sharing before Tamil Nadu polls

The Print

4 hours ago

While Thirumalavalan played it down as just a friendly meeting, Vaigaichelvan said the meeting marked the beginning of the unravelling of the DMK-led alliance.
VCK leader Thol. Thirumavalavan, who has been pressing for more seats, went a step further, meeting opposition AIADMK MLA and former minister Vaigaichelvan who visited him at his residence on 16 June.
Chennai: With assembly elections in Tamil Nadu just about 10 months away, allies of the ruling DMK in the state including the Congress, Viduthalai Chiruthaigal Katchi (VCK) and the Communist Party of India (Marxist) have started mounting pressure on the senior partner to give them more seats to contest the polls.
'The DMK alliance has developed cracks and it is just the beginning. You will see more parties having discussions with the AIADMK,' Vaigaichelvan told reporters in Chennai on 18 June when asked about the meeting.
Hours later, addressing a public meeting in Madurai, Thirumavalavan said while VCK is not averse to the idea of joining the AIADMK-led alliance, 'the alliance also has BJP and the PMK, which would not go well with us.'
'VCK will not be part of any alliance where BJP and the PMK are there,' he declared.
Thirumavalavan and CPI(M) state secretary P. Shanmugam have said on multiple occasions that they would definitely demand more seats from DMK.
CPI state secretary P. Mutharasan told ThePrint they too want more seats. 'But, demanding and negotiating the seats are supposed to happen discreetly between parties. It should not be discussed with the media like how other alliance partners are doing,' he said.
Asked about it, DMK spokesperson T.K.S. Elangovan said it was for Chief Minister M.K. Stalin to decide who gets how many seats in the alliance. 'Our leader will not let anybody be unhappy in the state. Alliance leaders will also be treated in the same manner.'
In the 2011 assembly elections, DMK contested 119 of the 234 seats. Its ally Congress was given 63 seats, while VCK and CPI were allocated 10 each, and the CPI(M) 12.
While CPI won one seat with a vote share of 1.49 percent, CPI(M) didn't win any, though it did corner 2.22 percent votes. The Congress managed to win five seats with a vote share of 9.31 percent percent, while VCK won two seats with a vote share of 1.51 percent.
In the 2016 assembly elections, VCK, CPI, CPI(M) and other parties formed a third front and contested separately but did not secure any seat, and their vote percentage was also under one percent. The Congress, which was part of the DMK-led alliance, contested 41 seats and won eight, securing 6.42 percent votes.
In 2021, VCK, CPI and CPI(M) contested the assembly elections as DMK allies and were allotted six seats each. While CPI and CPI(M) won two seats each, VCK won four.
The Congress contested 25 seats and won 18, securing 4.29 percent votes, compared to CPI(M)'s 1.13 percent, CPI's 1.10 percent and VCK's 1.01 percent.
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'Just a pressure tactic'
Political analyst P. Sigamani told ThePrint it was just a pressure-building tactic by smaller parties so they can bargain a better deal during seat-sharing talks with senior allies. But it would not have any bearing on the larger alliance.
'The DMK-led alliance is a tested and proven alliance that would win the elections, be it parliament or assembly or even the local body. Hence, there is no chance of the alliance breaking. But, these demands in public would give them a leverage to (potentially) get more seats in the upcoming assembly election,' Sigamani told ThePrint.
'If political parties that have increased their vote share and their presence over the years and they demand more seats, it would definitely help the alliance. But, if parties like the Congress demand more seats, it would have an impact in securing a majority in the assembly,' Sigamani said, recalling the past performance of the Congress party.
In the 2011 polls, the Congress won just five of the 63 seats it contested. In the 2016 polls, the Congress was allotted 41 seats and it won eight. In the 2021 assembly elections, the Congress was allocated 25 seats and it won 18 seats.
'We have also increased our presence in the state,' Tamil Nadu Congress Committee President K. Selvaperunthagai told ThePrint. 'Unlike in previous elections, we have proved our support base in the last two Lok Sabha elections and in the 2021 assembly election as well. So, we would definitely demand for more seats to contest, and the numbers will be decided by the national leadership.'
VCK general secretary Sinthanai Selvan said it was the need of the hour to strengthen the alliance to achieve the larger goal of protecting the country.
'We are part of the DMK alliance not just for the seats and power, but, for a larger cause of saving the nation from the Hindutva forces,' he told ThePrint. 'In the journey to protect the country, it is also essential to strengthen ourselves to fight Sanatan forces. So, demanding more seats to contest is natural to strengthen our own party.'
He, however, added the demand would not be at the cost of the DMK-led alliance.
Shanmugam also told ThePrint seat-sharing talks would not be at the cost of the alliance, but it would only aim at strengthening his party and its representation in the assembly.
'The representation of the Marxist at the state and national level has been dwindling for years. And as a party, we want to increase our presence in assembly in accordance with our increase in presence on the ground,' he said, adding that they do not have any number in mind for now, but would decide at the time of seat-sharing talks with DMK.
(Edited by Ajeet Tiwari)
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