TN Polls: DMK holds talks with MNM, finalises seat deal with CPI

DMK's seat-sharing committee held its second round of talks with Kamal Haasan's MNM ahead of the Tamil Nadu elections. The ruling party has finalised its agreements with CPI (5 seats), Congress (28 seats), and MDMK (4 seats) for the polls.

DMK Alliance Seat-Sharing Talks

Ahead of the Tamil Nadu Assembly elections, the ruling DMK's seat-sharing committee held its second round of talks with leaders from Kamal Haasan's Makkal Needhi Maiam (MNM) at the party headquarters on Thursday. This development comes as alliance partners work to streamline seat allocations before the polls.

Meanwhile, the Communist Party of India (CPI) has finalised its seat-sharing agreement with the DMK for the Tamil Nadu Assembly elections, scheduled for April 23. Under the agreement, signed in the presence of Chief Minister M.K. Stalin and Tamil Nadu CPI Secretary M. Veerapandian, the CPI will contest five Assembly constituencies as part of the DMK-led alliance.

Additonally, Congress has also reached a seat-sharing arrangement. It will contest 28 assembly constituencies. The DMK had allocated a Rajya Sabha berth to the Congress. Another alliance partner, Marumalarchi Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (MDMK), will contest on four seats in the 234-member state assembly.

Election Schedule and MCC

Earlier, the Election Commission of India (ECI) announced that Tamil Nadu will go to the polls in a single phase on April 23, with counting of votes scheduled for May 4. The Model Code of Conduct (MCC) has come into effect immediately, with the initiation of the election process for the 234-member state assembly, whose current tenure ends on May 10.

Key Contestants in the Electoral Fray

The main electoral contest is expected between the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK)-led Secular Progressive Alliance (SPA), which includes DMK, Congress, and other parties, and the National Democratic Alliance (NDA), led by All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK) with BJP and Pattali Makkal Katchi (PMK) as allies. Actor-turned-politician Vijay is set to make his political debut in this election with his party, Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK).

A Look Back at 2021 Election Results

In the 2021 Tamil Nadu Assembly Elections, the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) won with 133 seats. All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK) followed with 66 seats. Congress stood at 18 seats. The state saw a voter turnout of 76.6 per cent.

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