After two nights of hectic negotiations with the AIADMK, the Desiya Murpokku Dravida Kazhagam (DMDK), led by actor Vijayakant, finalised on Sunday the constituencies it will contest in the April-13 Assembly elections.
The DMDK has been allotted 41 constituencies. The list is likely to be released on Monday along with the seats to be contested by the AIADMK. AIADMK general secretary Jayalalithaa is due to release her party's list of candidates on Monday.
“It was a marathon negotiation. We have finalised the seats and handed over the list to our founder-leader Vijayakant,” said Panruti S. Ramachandaran, the party's presidium chairman. He was accompanied by the party's youth wing leader L K Sudheesh in the negotiations.
Mr. Ramachandran said that after getting Mr. Vijayakant's approval, the list would once again be forwarded to AIADMK general secretary Jayalalithaa for release.
After Thursday's turmoil in the alliance over the “unilateral” release of the AIADMK candidates' list for 160 seats – since withdrawn –, the talks with allies for identifying constituencies began on Friday evening and continued till the early hours of Saturday.
Though the AIADMK could finalise the constituencies with the CPI, CPI (M) and smaller allies, no agreement could be reached with the DMDK.
Once again Mr. Ramachandran and Mr. Sudheesh visited Ms. Jayalalithaa's Poes Garden residence on Saturday evening for talks even as the AIADMK tried to retain the Marumalarchi Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (MDMK) in its alliance.
It was exactly 5 am on Sunday when Mr. Ramachandran and Mr. Sudheesh emerged from the Poes Garden residence of Ms Jayalalithaa and informed mediapersons about the completion of talks. Just an hour earlier, the MDMK had decided against contesting the elections.
