Tamil Nadu: Congress, DMK finalise alliance deal

The DMK and the Congress have finalized an agreement to contest together the upcoming Lok Sabha elections in Tamil Nadu and Puducherry.

Congress president Rahul Gandhi is being presented a sword by DMK president MK Stalin at a public meeting. Photo: PTI (File)

CHENNAI: The DMK and the Congress have finalized an agreement to contest together the upcoming Lok Sabha elections in Tamil Nadu and Puducherry. DMK president M K Stalin made the announcement at party headquarters Anna Arivalayam in the presence of Congress General Secretary incharge of Tamil Nadu Mukul Wasnik, TNCC chief K S Alagiri and other senior leaders following conclusion of seat sharing talks. The constituencies to be allotted to Congress will be announced later, he said. The DMK will finalise seat sharing exercise for other allies soon, Stalin added. Earlier in the day, DMK MP Kanimozhi and Tamil Nadu PCC President KS Alagiri had said the details of the agreement would be announced at the DMK headquarters in Chennai in the evening. Both leaders had met Congress President Rahul Gandhi on Tuesday in Delhi separately and returned here on Wednesday. In all, Tamil Nadu and Puducherry account for 40 Lok Sabha seats. Those likely to form a part of the DMK-led alliance are Congress, MDMK, CPI, CPI-M and VCK. In the 2014 Lok Sabha elections, the Congress had contested on 10 seats but drew a blank. The DMK also could not win a single seat in 2014 elections when the poll scene was dominated by late J Jayalalithaa who went to people with her famous slogan "who is better? Is it Narendra Modi or this lady? The AIADMK, led by her won 37 seats and one was bagged by the BJP while the other by Saffron party's ally PMK. The DMK had got 23.6 per cent vote share, while the Congress could secure just 4.3 per cent.