PMK empowers district secretaries to identify candidates for civic polls

Party hoping to get at least five district chairperson seats in the northern districts

The PMK has empowered its district unit secretaries to identify candidates and sort out seat-sharing with allies for the upcoming rural local body elections on December 27 and 30.

A local leader said the party leadership will only get involved if a breakthrough in seat-sharing talks seemed difficult or if unhappy local leaders threatened to play spoilsport.

Party sources said they were hoping that they could negotiate with their allies and get at least five district chairperson seats in the northern districts, where the party had strong support.

“We are finalising seat-sharing [arrangements] with our allies. As always, we are dealing with stubborn allies. We are seeking at least five district chairperson seats and are confident of getting them. What is important now is that there must be more synergy among the allies,” said a local leader in Dharmapuri.

A senior party leader said the PMK would continue its “beneficial relationship” with the AIADMK and the NDA in the local body polls.

High demand

With Monday being the last day for the filing of nominations, party sources said it was important to iron out last-minute disagreements to ensure that internal squabbles did not end up upsetting the apple cart. “Within the party, local body seats are always in high demand. Influential local partymen demand more and more. There is a possibility that those [who] do not get seats will try to contest as independents. We are currently trying to talk them out of it so that they don’t end up splitting votes — this happens in all parties,” the senior party leader said.

Meanwhile, PMK founder S. Ramadoss on Sunday urged the Centre to increase the allocation for the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee scheme by ₹1,500 crore.