The DMK on Thursday allotted four seats to Puthiya Tamizhagam for the May 16, 2016 Tamil Nadu Assembly elections, thus giving away a total of 58 seats to alliance parties, including the 41 to the Congress.
“Puthiya Tamizhagam (PT) has been allotted four seats by DMK,” party founder K. Krishnasamy told reporters after clinching the deal with DMK president M. Karunanidhi at latter’s Gopalapuram residence in Chennai.
PT has given its wish list of constituencies to DMK treasurer M.K. Stalin and the two parties will discuss the matter on Friday, Mr. Krishnasamy said.
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Mr. Stalin leads the DMK panel that holds seat-sharing issues with alliance parties.
Dr. Krishnasamy expressed confidence that the DMK will earn a massive win and Mr. Karunanidhi will become Chief Minister.
An ally of the AIADMK during the 2011 Assembly elections, the PT had later switched sides and supported DMK leader Kanimozhi’s candidature during the 2013 Rajya Sabha elections.
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The PT had won two seats in the 2011 elections, with Dr. Krishnasamy wiing from Ottapidaram and A. Ramasamy from Nilakottai.
However, Mr. Ramasamy had later shifted loyalty to the AIADMK and had in February 2016 quit the party and joined the AIADMK.
The DMK had earlier allotted five seats each to the IUML and the MMK and one each to three smaller constituents.