The leaders of the People’s Welfare Front and the Desiya Murpokku Dravida Kazhagam (DMDK) are yet to conclude their seat-sharing talks in Puducherry as the constituents are vying with each other to extract maximum number of seats for contesting the forthcoming Assembly polls.
Last October, five political parties comprising the Communist Party of India (CPI), Communist Party of India (Marxist), Marumalarchi Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam(MDMK), Viduthalai Chiruthaigal Katchi (VCK) and the Revolutionary Socialist Party (RSP) floated the People’s Welfare Front (PWF).
Ahead of other political parties, it was the PWF which launched its campaign, projecting itself as an alternative to other parties in Puducherry. With the DMDK led by Vijayakant recently entering into an alliance with the People’s Welfare Front (PWF) in Tamil Nadu, the political equation among these parties took a turn in Puducherry.
The DMDK is learnt to have opened the talks with these parties for 10 constituencies and is now ready to settle for more or less seven out of 30 seats in the Union Territory. Immediately after launching the party in 2005, the DMDK faced Assembly polls in the following year contesting in 27 seats on its own in the Union Territory. Though it had not won any seat, the party garnered 8.37 per cent of votes in the 2006 Assembly polls.
During the Lok Sabha elections in 2009, its candidate A.J. Asana came third with 56,000 votes. And in the 2011 Assembly polls, it lost the lone seat which was allotted by the AINRC-AIADMK combine.
R.Selvaraj, DMDK organiser said, “We have presented our proposal with the PWF convener and will present our list with approval of our leader in Chennai on Monday. We will decide the seat-sharing amicably.”
The VCK had sought 15 seats from the alliance claiming that it has a strong vote base in all constituencies except Kamaraj Nagar and Thattanchavadi. It had garnered sizeable votes in the 2001 and 2006 Assembly polls. VCK former unit organiser Deva Pozhilan and other office-bearers unsuccessfully contested in Embalam and Tirubhuvani constituencies in the previous Assembly polls.
Deva Pozhilan, principal secretary of VCK, Puducherry unit, “We have an almost 60 per cent vote share as a combination. So we expect proportionate number of seats. There will be a clear picture after a week.”
The RSP, led by its secretary K.Lenin, sought one seat from the alliance.
The MDMK which had earlier demanded 10 seats now wants at least five to seven seats from the alliance. MDMK executive committee president A.Chandrasekaran said, “In the 2006 Assembly polls, our candidate P.R.Siva won in Tirunallar and, however, did not contest in 2011. The party supported the PMK candidate in 2014 Lok Sabha elections. Our general secretary will take a final call on the number of seats.”
CPI(M) unit leaders said the party was demanding five seats but was ready to accept one seat lesser than that figure in the interest of the coalition. The party had K.V. Ragavan as MLA from Mahe in 1980. Though it claims to have a strong organisational structure, the party has not tasted any electoral victory since then.
CPI(M) unit secretary R.Rajangam said, “All parties which projected the number of seats they expected were asked to reduce the numbers. We are near a conclusion on the seat-sharing. They may come to the table after consulting their leaders in Chennai. In a day or two, we may come to a position to reach an agreement.”
CPI had its MLAs R.Viswanathan and Nara Kalainathan from 2006-2011. Later the party drew a blank in the next Assembly polls and Mr. Viswanathan unsuccessfully contested the last Lok Sabha election in 2014.
CPI unit secretary and convener R.Viswanathan said, “All of us proposed the numbers. More or less I can say we reached the level of signing an agreement among us for 28 constituencies in Puducherry and Karaikal regions. We will amicably complete talks soon.”
Meanwhile, Left Democratic Front in Kerala announced V.Ramachandran as an Independent candidate to Mahe constituency.
