DMK gives more seats to Congress in Kovai

Chennai: The DMK on Friday released the list of candidates for wards in three more corporations. It has kept the Congress share down to a paltry number in two of those wards while allocating 17 wards in Coimbatore where the alliance was routed in the Assembly elections.

The allocation also confirmed the entry of the Kongunadu Makkal Katchi, a party of Kongu Velalars into the DMK front. The Congress seems to have fallen in line as TNCC president S. Thirunavukkarasar denied any differences over sharing of wards with the DMK. He said there is no question of discontent even while leaders at the district level are threatening to contest against DMK nominees. Speaking to the media, the Congress leader said his party had been given 14 wards in Chennai and hoped to get more.

The ward allotment for Congress, which was in single digits in previous announcements, finally crossed the double digit mark as the DMK gave the national party 17 wards in Coimbatore corporation.

The BJP emerged as the third force in the district in the 2016 Assembly polls and its archrival at the national level, the Congress would fight the saffron party in many wards.

In the neighbouring district of Erode, the Congress got just five out of 60 wards and in Thanjavur, the national party was allocated four out of the 51 wards.

The Kongunadu Munnetra Kazhagam, a party of Kongu Velalars, also found a place in the front and it was given two wards in Erode.