Stalin, Kanimozhi attend INDIA virtual meet

Chennai: The seat-sharing talks between the partners of the national opposition INDIA coalition would begin by around January 20 as the DMK president M K Stalin and Member of Parliament Kanimozhi Karunanidhi, who attended the virtual meeting from Chennai on Saturday, requested for time till the end of the Pongal season.

Though it is not clear as to what exactly transpired at the meeting and what were the major decisions taken on Saturday that saw many parties going unrepresented in the video conference, for the Congress and DMK the commencement of seat sharing talks is crucial.

For in Tamil Nadu, though their tie-up is rather firm, there are sections of Congress leaders who want the party to align with the AIADMK that had broken itself from the BJP as the chances of getting more seats to contest in the Lok Sabha was high.

The talks on seat-sharing in Tamil Nadu could turn out to be stormy as the DMK had at one point in the past wanted the Congress to take cut in the number of seats – from the 10 that were allotted to them in 2019 to just half a dozen – as it might have more allies joining the coalition at the State-level.

The proposal was opposed by the Congress leaders though they felt they had no other option because the other major Dravidian party in the State was with the BJP then. But after the AIADMK broke free from the BJP and some Muslim parties started gravitating towards it, the situation changed.

A section of TNCC leaders favoured walking out of the alliance and joining hands with AIADMK but had to abide by the high command in New Delhi that wanted the DMK to be part of the INDIA coalition.

Now, it is said that the Congress high command also wanted to contest in about 15 seats in the State and when the talks actually begin that could be a thorn in the flesh of the alliance. However, the DMK might climb down from its stand and give more seats – at least the 10 that it gave last time – for it is keen on being part of the INDIA coalition at the national level.

Any friction with the Congress on the seat-sharing could be detrimental as the AIADMK is waiting in the wings to join forces with the national opposition alliance to reclaim its secular image in the State. Though its general secretary had already attended meetings organized by Christian groups and Muslim parties recently, a berth in the INDIA coalition would help it in a bigger way.

So the DMK, too, has to tread carefully in dealing with the Congress on the seat-sharing talks, though it remains the leader of the coalition in the State, and finalise the seat sharing rather quickly.