Lok Sabha polls: DMK begins seat allotment to allies

Chennai, Feb 24 (PTI) The Tamil Nadu's ruling DMK, a key constituent of the opposition INDIA bloc, on Saturday allotted one Lok Sabha constituency each to two of its allies.

Weeks after initiating seat sharing talks with allies for the April-May Lok Sabha polls, the seat sharing agreement was signed by DMK President and Chief Minister M K Stalin and leaders of alliance parties at the party headquarters 'Anna Arivalayam,' here.

The main opposition AIADMK and the BJP are yet to announce their allies.

While the DMK's long time ally, 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).

K M Kader Mohideen, national president of the IUML said his party's incumbent MP from Ramanathapuram, Navas Kani, will be renominated to contest the LS polls.

Mohideen told reporters that his party requested a Rajya Sabha seat from the DMK during seat sharing talks. The Dravidian party, however, said the seat sharing exercise was confined to the Lok Sabha polls and questions related to RS elections may be taken up later, at the appropriate time.

Both IUML and KMDK have been allotted the same seats they were given in the 2019 LS polls.

KMDK general secretary Easwaran said the nominee to be named by his party will contest in the DMK's 'Rising Sun,' symbol.

In 2019, KMDK's AKP Chinraj was elected from Namakkal in the DMK's Rising Sun symbol.

The DMK is expected to finalise seat sharing with other allies including the Congress, VCK and Left parties soon.

TR Baalu, Tiruchi Siva, K N Nehru were among the DMK leaders present during the signing of pacts for the LS polls. PTI