Tamil Nadu Polls: Fissures, Survival & Seat Sharing - How AIADMK, DMDK Plan To Stitch Key Alliances

Tamil Nadu Polls: As campaigning intensifies for the upcoming assembly polls, both parties are busy making last-minute efforts to stitch alliances with other political outfits to ensure victory in the electoral contest.

AIADMK, DMDK Plan To Stitch Key Alliances | AFP File Images

The Election Commission of India (ECI) announced the schedule for upcoming assembly elections in Tamil Nadu along with Kerala, Assam, West Bengal and Puducherry.

As per the ECI notification, assembly polls for the 234-seats in Tamil Nadu will be held in a single phase along with Kerala and Puducherry on April 6. The counting of votes for four states and one Union Territory will be done on May 2.

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Let us have a glimpse of the likely alliances of the two largest regional parties in the state All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK) and Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) as both the Dravidian party eye on the Assembly throne in Chennai.

AIADMK & Alliances:

AIADMK is contesting the assembly polls in alliance with the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). The seat-sharing formula has not been settled yet between the parties as Tuesday meeting remained inconclusive. BJP leader told news agency PTI that the party wants to finalise the pact before Amith Shah's expected to visit later this week. It is being reported that the BJP wants 33 seats, which also includes some bellwether seats, but AIADMK is only ready to give 20 seats.  

AIADMK has already finalised its seat-sharing formula with the Pattali Makkal Katchi (PMK). The ruling party has allotted 23 seats to PMK in its alliance to contest Tamil Nadu Assembly Elections 2021.

AIADMK's conversation is also on with Vijayakant-led Desiya Murpokku Dravida Kazhagam (DMDK) for the seat-sharing formula for the April 6 state assembly polls. Here also the contention is that DMDK wants a bigger piece of the pie than being offered by the AIADMK.   

DMK & Alliances:

The DMK, which is out of power for the last 10 years, has joined hands with the Indian Union Muslim League (IUML) and Manithaneya Makkal Katchi (MMK). IUML got three seats while MMK got two seats in the alliance.

The DMK, which has so far failed to a seat-sharing agreement with the Congress, is likely to join hands with Vaiko’s Marumalarchi Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (MDMK) and Viduthalai Chiruthaigal Katchi (VCK).

Though the DMK has not reached agreements with Congress, MDMK and VCK so far it certainly will seal the alliance talk.

Tamil Nadu Assembly Elections 2016 

The AIADMK cruised to victory in the 2016 assembly polls winning 134 of the 232 assembly seats. The DMK managed to win just 89 seats.

The Congress won 8 seats while the Indian Union Muslim League bagged just one seat.

The PMK, which for the first time fought in all the assembly constituencies, could not win a single seat. The BJP too failed to win a single seat in the last assembly elections.

 The Election Commission had postponed polling in two assembly constituencies.