DMDK ups stake, now wants 50 seats

CHENNAI: In the wake of the PMK joining the DMK-led front, actor Vijayakanth's DMDK has hardened its stand. The party is demanding 50 seats for clinching a pact with the AIADMK for the assembly elections. The DMDK, which had agreed to the AIADMK's offer of 41 seats a week ago, has increased the demand after the PMK signed a poll deal with the DMK.

"We had agreed to 41 seats earlier as we were given to understand that the PMK might join the AIADMK front. Even a meeting between Vijayakanth and Jayalalithaa was scheduled for 4.30pm on February 18. He cancelled the meeting on learning that PMK leader S Ramadoss had struck a deal with DMK chief M Karunanidhi," a senior DMDK leader said.

So far, several rounds of negotiations have taken place between the AIADMK and the DMDK. Though Panruti S Ramachandran, L K Sudhish and K Pandia Rajan represented the DMDK, and O Paneerselvam and KA Sengottaiyan the AIADMK in the initial meetings, all subsequent meetings were between Sudhish and Sengottaiyan or Sudhish and Jayalalithaa's confidante Sasikalaa. Initially the DMDK demanded 67 seats and the AIADMK offered 32. Later, the AIADMK increased its offer to 35 seats after the DMDK brought down its demand to 60.

The DMDK has even submitted a wish list of 67 assembly constituencies to the AIADMK. These include 54 constituencies where the party secured more than 12.5% votes in the last parliamentary polls, said a senior party leader. He expressed hope that the "deal could be closed with the AIADMK in a couple of days."

Within the party, Vijayakanth has also shortlisted 30 candidates including Panruti, Pandia Rajan and S Austin, Kanyakumari district secretary of the party. The actor himself will contest, but the constituency is not yet finalised, sources said.

Meanwhile, the AIADMK is learnt to have finalised deals with a host of small parties. It signed a pact with the All India Forward Bloc by conceding one seat on Wednesday. The Indian National League, actor M Karthik's Agila India Nadalum Makkal Katchi and director Seeman's Naam Thamizhar Iyakkam could be given one seat each. Actor R Sarath Kumar's Agila India Samathuva Makkal Katchi could be given two seats. All India Moovendar Munnani Kazhagam was given one seat earlier. All these parties are expected to contest on the AIADMK symbol.

The AIADMK is likely to give one more seat to the Puthiya Thamizhagam, which has been demanding more seats. The PT was given two seats earlier. The Manithaneya Makkal Katchi was given three seats recently. Jayalalithaa has offered 16 seats to the MDMK, 13 to the CPM and 10 to the CPI. While the Left parties had contested the same number of seats as part of the DMK alliance in 2006, the MDMK had contested 35.