Lok Sabha polls | Congress likely to be allotted 10 seats in DMK alliance in T.N. and Puducherry

TNCC to seal pact with DMK for 10 seats in Lok Sabha polls, including Puducherry, with Rahul and Sonia Gandhi campaigning.

The Tamil Nadu Congress Committee (TNCC) is likely to seal a pact with the DMK for 10 seats in the Dravidian party’s alliance in Tamil Nadu and Puducherry for the upcoming Lok Sabha polls.

In the 2019 general elections too, the party was allotted 10 seats, including the seat in Puducherry, and won all but the Periyakulam constituency where former TNCC president E.V.K.S. Elangovan had contested.

The signing of the pact, for nine seats in T.N. and the one seat in Puducherry, is expected to take place on the evening of Saturday, March 9, 2024. The constituencies however, are yet to be decided upon.

“We are fully satisfied with the allocation. Our leaders Rahul Gandhi and Sonia Gandhi will campaign for the candidates of our alliance in all the Lok Sabha constituencies in Tamil Nadu,” TNCC president K. Selvaperunthagai said, speaking to The Hindu.

Mr. Selvaperunthagai, in response to a query, ruled out the possibility of actor and founder of Makkal Neethi Mayam leader Kamal Haasan contesting under the ‘Hand’ symbol of the Congress party.

With this, the DMK has now allocated two seats each to the two Left parties, the Communist Party of India (CPI) and the Communist Party of India (Marxist); one seat to the MDMK; the two reserved constituencies of Villupuram and Chidambaram to the VCK; the Ramanathapuram constituency to the Indian Union Muslim League (IUML) and the Namakkal constituency to the Kongunadu Makkal Desiya Katchi (KMDK).

It may be recalled that Mr.  Selvaperunthagai had made it clear earlier this week, amidst speculations, that the seat-sharing talks with the DMK were proceeding smoothly.