Former Chief Minister V. Narayanasamy on Monday said the number of Assembly seats to be contested by Congress and DMK in Puducherry will be finalised by Tuesday.
Briefing reporters after holding the second round of talks with local leaders of the Dravidian party at the Pradesh Congress Committee office, the former Chief Minister said DMK president M. K. Stalin and AICC general secretary Dinesh Gundu Rao would hold further deliberations on the seat sharing arrangements in Chennai.
“The local leadership of both the parties discussed the views expressed by (respective) party high commands. Mr. Rao will be arriving in Chennai on Monday evening and will hold talks with Mr. Stalin to finalise the number of seats each of the parties will be contesting. An announcement will be made on Monday night or Tuesday,” he said.
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Sources in both the parties said the DMK had insisted on a 50:50 seat sharing formula for the Assembly elections.
“After arriving at the formula, both the parties could decide on parting seats to Communist Party of India, Communist Party of India (Marxist) and Viduthalai Chiruthaigal Katchi," said a DMK functionary. Mr. Narayanasamy said the Congress would hold separate discussions with CPI, CPI(M) and VCK on sharing seats.
On the defections from Congress party, the former Chief Minister said some of them had left the party due to threat and others because of political compulsions. “A few leaders joined BJP due to pressure from Central agencies and others quit the Congress due to political compulsions,” the Congress leader said.
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