The five-member panel constituted by the Congress high command will hold talks with the DMK committee on seat-sharing on Sunday afternoon.
According to a release from Tamil Nadu Congress Committee president K.V. Thangkabalu, the discussions will take place at Anna Arivalyam, DMK headquarters. While the Congress panel comprises Mr. Thangkabalu, Union Home Minister P. Chidambaram, Union Shipping Minister G.K. Vasan, All India Congress Committee spokesperson Jayanthi Natarajan and K. Jayakumar, MLA, the DMK panel comprises Deputy Chief Minister M.K. Stalin, Electricity Minister Arcot N. Veeraswamy, Law Minister Durai Murugan, Higher Education Minister K. Ponmudy and T.R. Baalu, MP.
In the 2006 elections, the DMK allotted 48 seats to Congress, which emerged victorious in 35.
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As the DMK has already entered into an agreement with the PMK for 31 seats, its manoeuvrability is severely restricted with junior partners. The DMK needs to win at least 117 of the total 234 to form a government on its own and is, therefore, seeking to contest at least 140 seats.