DMK-Congress reach poll accord

New Delhi/Chennai, Mar 8 (PTI) Blinking first in the
battle of attrition, Dravida Munnettra Kazhagam (DMK), a
coalition partner to the Indian National Congress led
United Progressive Alliance (UPA) government at the centre, on
Tuesday conceded 63 seats for the Congress under a seat-
sharing deal for the Assembly elections in the south Indian
state of Tamil Nadu, ending three days of political drama
triggered by its brinkmanship.
After two rounds of negotiations on Tuesday and Monday
night's discussions with Congress Party President Sonia
Gandhi, DMK leaders on Tuesday agreed to give Congress 15
seats more than it had contested last time.
The deal was announced by Union Health Minister and
All India Congress Committee (AICC) General Secretary Ghulam
Nabi Azad in Delhi and DMK chief M Karunanidhi in Chennai.
"I am happy that the deal has been struck between DMK
and Congress. Like 63 nayanmars (Tamil Shaivaite saints), you
have been given the 63 seats. You should accept it with the
same amount of Bhakti like Nayanmars," Karunanidhi told the
Congress at a meeting where volunteers from other parties
joined DMK.
Karunanidhi, the Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu, said
that under the seat-sharing formula, DMK will contest on 121
seats, Congress 63, Pattali Makkal Katchi (PMK) 30, Viduthalai
Chiruthaigal Katchi (VCK) 10, Kongu Munnetra Katchi 7, Indian
Union Muslim League (IUML) 2 and Moovendar Munnetra Kazhagam 1
for the 234 member assembly.
DMK sources said that while the party has conceded to
Congress over the number of seats, it has not given in to the
Congress position that it will pick the seats it would like to
contest.
The sources said while Congress could get the
constituencies it contested last time, the additional seats
would be decided by negotiations.
They also claimed that the issue of power-sharing would
be decided after the elections. But going by the number of
seats the DMK would be contesting, it may have to give up on
its earlier stubborn attitude of not sharing power, according
to analysts.
DMK sacrificed one seat from its own quota and took one
each from allies PMK and Muslim League to satisfy Congress,
which had raised its demand after accepting 60 seats last
week. For the first time the DMK would be contesting in less
number of seats.
The Congress demand of 63 seats was one of the issues on
which Karunanidhi decided that the party would pull out from
the Union government.
Azad told reporters outside Gandhi's 10 Janpath
residence that the leadership of DMK and Congress have finally
decided on the number of seats and Congress will contest on 63
seats. "It is a winning alliance," he said.
The deal was announced after DMK Minister Dayanidhi
Maran held two rounds talks with senior Congress leader Pranab
Mukherjee in Parliament House during which Azad and Gandhi's
Political Secretary Ahmed Patel were also present.
From the meeting a beaming Maran, accompanied by another
Union Minister M K Alagiri, and Congress leaders drove to
Gandhi's residence to thank her for the deal on behalf of
DMK's leadership.
In an act of brinkmanship, DMK announced the pull out of
its six ministers from the Union Council of Ministers and
offered issued-based support accusing Congress of making
attempts to push it out of the coalition.
On Friday night, Karunanidhi had accused the Congress of
being unreasonable by escalating the demand for seats from 50
to 53 to 57 and then to 60. And after agreeing to settle for
60, the party later raised the demand to 63, he had
complained.
Asked what is the formula of the deal with the
Congress, Alagiri said, "It is a winning formula.
"This is the expectation of the cadre that there
should be an amicable settlement," he said when asked whether
the credit for clinching the deal should go to him and Maran.
Asked whether DMK cadres will work for Congress during
the polls in view of the recent bitterness between the two
parties on the issue of alliance, Alagiri said, "Definitely.
The entire cadre will work for the coalition and we will come
back to power."
After the talks made no headway on Monday night, both
sides renewed consultations on Tuesday morning through a
series of meetings to thrash out the differences, with
Mukherjee playing a key role.
Mukherjee made at least two telephonic calls with
Karunanidhi since the crisis threatened the seven-year
tie-up between the two parties.
The DMK-led alliance has a tough battle on hand as
rival All India Anna Dravida Munnettra Kazhagam (AIADMK) is
also putting up a formidable alliance by roping in the Desiya
Murpokku Dravida Kazhagam (DMDK) led by Actor Vijaykant, MDMK
as also the Left parties.