Seat sharing talks in TN fail to take-off

Chennai, Feb 6 (PTI) As Assembly elections draw closer inTamil Nadu, political parties appear to be in a fix on thethrony issue of seat sharing with Congress and DMDK, aregional outfit, still undecided on the number of seats theywould contest.

With elections to the 234-member Tamil Nadu Assembly duebefore May, both the ruling DMK and the opposition AIADMK areunable to proceed with the seat sharing arrangements till theyfinalise their tie-up with Congress and Vijayakant-led DMDK.

Adding to the complexity, the PMK is also in a fix withcontradictory signals emerging on the issue of alliance fromboth the DMK and also the Vanniyar community-based party knownfor frequent switching of loyalties.

Though the Congress has firmed up its alliance with theDMK, it is yet to appoint a committee for negotiating seatsharing arrangements.

Union ministers P Chidambaram and G K Vasan and TNCCPresident K V Thangabalu are most likely to be a part of thecommittee, though Congress may include a Vanniyar and a Dalitas members.

AIADMK has announced its tie up with Left parties, MDMKand other small parties, but is awaiting a word from DMDK,which polled eight per cent votes in the 2006 Assembly polls,which is perceived to have played spoilsport to AIADMK''sprospects.

With AIADMK determined to form a rainbow alliance thistime, it has mounted pressure on the DMDK leader Vijaykant.

During the behind-the-scene talks, the DMDK leadersreportedly asked for at least 60 seats, but the AIADMK was notwilling to concede more than 40, creating a stalemate. (MORE)PTI SA SR ARP RA