DMDK pulls out of AIADMK alliance over seat-sharing

The DMDK has withdrawn from the AIADMK-led alliance in Tamil Nadu after seat-sharing talks failed on Tuesday (March 9), media reports said.

In a statement, Desiya Murpokku Dravida Kazhagam (DMDK) chief Vijayakant said: “The DMDK held talks with AIADMK in three sittings. The AIADMK refused to allot the requested numbers of the seats and the demanded seats. So, as the negotiations did not reach a desired conclusion and since all of DMDK district secretaries reached a decision, DMDK has decided to quit AIADMK alliance from March 9.”

Vijayakant has not revealed the party’s next move. The ruling AIADMK had reportedly offered DMDK 15 Assembly seats in the April 6 elections. However, the DMDK has been demanding at least 23 seats, the same number allotted to Ramadoss’ PMK. The DMDK had originally demanded 41 seats when seat-sharing talks began with the AIADMK. But had to bring its demand down when talks were stuck.

Also read: AIADMK’s hasty deal with PMK draws flak from allies BJP, DMDK

A few back, DMDK treasurer Premalatha Vijayakant dropped hints that the party was ready to contest alone in all 234 Assembly seats. The discomfort over alliance talks came in the backdrop of the impression among the party cadre that the AIADMK considered PMK a more valuable partner.

The DMDK’s vote share plummeted to 2.4 per cent in the 2016 Assembly polls from 7.88 per cent in 2011, even as the party failed to return a single legislator.

The EC guidelines mandate that a political party has to not only get 6 per cent of total votes polled, but also return at least two members to the state Assembly in the last general election, i.e. the May 2016 polls.

The DMDK made its electoral debut in the 2006 polls with Vijayakant being elected from Vriddachalam, just a year after he floated his Desiya Murpokku Dravida Kazhagam.

Also read: Sasikala’s exit may give AIADMK more leeway in seat talks with BJP, allies