DMDK deal will happen before PM's rally: O Panneerselvam

Chennai: Meandering through many rounds of tortuous talks with the hyper-ambitious DMDK, the AIADMK on Monday expressed confidence it would be able to ink the poll alliance with Captain’s party and present the complete poll team at the Prime Minister’s rally in suburban Vandalur on Wednesday.

AIADMK coordinator and Deputy Chief Minister O Panneerselvam, along with senior colleague D Jayakumar, called on DMDK chief Vijayakanth at his Saligramam residence here and later told reporters that the talks “continue to be on” and a “good decision will be taken and announced today or tomorrow”.

He said the visit was to enquire about Captain’s health. “We wished him good health. He is good. He spoke to us happily”, said OPS.

Meanwhile, the DMDK has called a meeting of its senior leaders on Tuesday, so it is most likely the poll deal with the AIADMK-BJP would be announced then, according to party sources. Vijayakanth had recently returned after medical treatment in the US and has been having continuous callers from both the DMK-Congress camp as well as the AIADMK-BJP umbrella, with all the guests claiming they were there only to wish him good health but Premalatha making it clear that politics and alliances were indeed discussed.

In fact, with her husband being unwell, she has been leading the hard bargaining with all the prospective allies. It was said she was insisting parity with the PMK —seven Lok Sabha seats plus on Rajya Sabha seat — but has agreed to seal the deal at five-plus-one. However, there was still some “little hitch” over “some other demands” and they would be resolved in a few hours, said an informed source.

When the media persons asked about the number of seats and the names of constituencies agreed for the DMDK, OPS quipped, ‘wait and see’. The final word would be out “in a day or two” and the entire grand alliance would be on the PM’s dais at the Wednesday rally. They would all be addressing the “massive meet”, said the AIADMK senior.

The AIADMK had on February 19 inked poll pacts with the PMK and the BJP and allotted them seven and five Lok Sabha seats respectively. The poll deal also allowed the PMK one Rajya Sabha seat. The Puthiya Tamizhagam was allotted one seat and the All India N R Congress given the lone LS seat in Puducherry.