DMK completes identification of constituencies for allies

Chennai, Mar 23: The DMK, heading the Democratic Progressive Alliance (DPA) in Tamil Nadu, today completed the exercise of constituency identification for all its allies to contest the May 8 Assembly elections.

DMK President M Karunanidhi and Pattali Makkal Katchi (PMK) founder S Ramadoss signed an agreement in this regard at DMK headquarters 'Anna Arivalayam' this evening, marking the completion of seat-sharing exercise in the DPA.

The PMK has been allotted 31 seats to contest the elections.

The Congress, another key constituent of the DPA, clinched a deal with the DMK yesterday on the identification of 48 constituencies allotted to it.

With the allocation of 13 seats to the CPI(M), ten to the CPI and three to the Indian Union Muslim League, the DMK had retained 129 seats for itself.

After signing the agreement with the PMK, Mr Karunanidhi released to the media the list of constituencies to be contested by the DPA constituents. Accordingly, the DMK would contest 11 out of 14 seats in Chennai district, considered to be the party bastion, leaving Radhakrishnan Nagar to the Congress and Saidapet to the PMK.

But for a couple of seats, most of the parties had retained the seats held by them.

While the DMK will contest in 27 Reserved constituencies, the Congress will contest eight reserved seats, the PMK and the CPI(M) three each and the CPI two.

The Congress has been allocated constituencies such as Sriperumbudur (reserved) in the north, Udhagamandalam, Coimbatore west, Thondamuthur, Valaparai (reserved) and Vedachanthur in the West, Papanasam and Pattukottai in the south Central -- all considered to be its strongholds.

The PMK will contest in a majority of the constituencies in the Northern belt, including Panruti, Chengalpattu, Kancheepuram and Tirutani -- dominated by the Vanniyar community.

While the CPI(M) will contest in constituencies such as Nagapattinam, Perambur (reserved) and Thiruvattaru where it had a strong presence, the CPI will contest in Thiruthuraipoondi (reserved), Mannargudi and Nannilam.

Mr Karunanidhi told reporters that the list of party candidates would be announced in a couple of days.

Stating that he would hit the campaign trail in the second week of April, he said the party's election manifesto would be released before that.

UNI