Sonia, Karunanidhi hold talks on RS polls

Chennai, Mar 4 (UNI) AICC President Sonia Gandhi today had a telephonic conversation with DMK President and Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M Karunanidhi and the two leaders discussed on the ensuing Rajya Sabha polls.

DMK is a key constituent of the Congress-led UPA at the Centre and Congress was a member of the DMK-led DPA in the state.

An official release here said both the leaders discussed the issue of Congress contesting the polls, scheduled to be held in April.

Today's discussions assume significance in the context of the DMK convening a meeting of its DPA allies on March seven on the issue.

The Rajya Sabha elections will be held to fill up six vacancies from the State Assembly as the tenure of Union Minister G K Vasan (Congress), R Shanmugasundaram (DMK), advocate N Jothi, Thanga Tamilselvan, Syed Khan, Perumal (AIADMK) ends next month.

Based on its strength in the State Assembly, the DMK was expected to get four out of the six seats, and the remaining two would go to the main Opposition AIADMK.

During Rajya Sabha elections last year, the DMK had allotted one seat each to the Congress and the CPI, while it held two seats.

This time the DMK, heading the DPA, was caught in a horns of dilemma following demands from its alliance partners like the PMK and the CPI-M. Congress too has been demanding more seats this time.

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