DMDK in, AIADMK leads 14-party front

CHENNAI: On a day when DMK and Congress struggled to save their seven-year-old alliance, AIADMK strengthened its position by bringing actor Vijayakanth's DMDK into its fold. In a sudden development, DMDK's three-member election committee – Panruti S Ramachandran, LK Sudhish and R Sundararajan – arrived at the AIADMK headquarters on Thursday afternoon to officially cement the alliance and hold the first formal seat talks with the AIADMK team that included O Paneerselvam, KA Sengottaiyan and Pollachi K Jayaraman. Though the teams had met many times earlier, the negotiations were closed-door affairs and not publicised much as the two parties stood their ground on numbers.

DMDK insisted on 50 seats while AIADMK offered only 41. The final figure could be 48 seats, sources in the two parties said.

With a new partner in, the AIADMK has pieced together a 14-party alliance, including MDMK, CPM, CPI, Manithaneya Makkal Katchi, Republican Party of India, Puthiya Thamizhagam, All-India Forward Bloc, All-India Moovendar Munnani Kazhagam, Indian National League, actor R Sarath Kumar's Akhila India Samathuva Makkal Katchi, actor M Karthik's Akhila India Nadalum Makkal Katchi and director Seeman's Naam Thamizhar Iyakkam. Formal talks have not started with most of these parties.

Emerging from an hour-long meeting, Panruti Ramachandran indicated that his party had finalised a pact with AIADMK. But he did not reveal any details as a formal announcement will most probably be done by AIADMK chief J Jayalalithaa and Vijayakanth, who is expected to call on her soon, most probably Sunday.