DMK gives away the lion’s share of seats in southern districts to INDIA allies
With the INDIA bloc having finalised the seatsharing arrangement for the Lok Sabha election, the major partner, the DMK, has given the lion’s share of seats in southern districts – seven out of 10 constituencies – to its coalition partners.
The DMK, which won four seats in the south during the 2019 election, is now contesting in only three constituencies in the region by giving away an additional seat to its allies.
The ruling party, which won the Dindigul seat with a margin of over 5 lakh votes in the previous election, has now given it to the CPI(M).
The DMK has swapped the Tirunelveli and Theni seats with the Congress.
With Tamil Nadu being an important State for the INDIA bloc, the DMK looked at winnability in all 39 seats for the alliance as a whole rather than the party alone
The DMK comfortably won the Tirunelveli seat while the Congress lost the Theni seat in the 2019 election — the only seat that the DMKled alliance lost in the State at the time.
The ruling party’s other ally, the Indian Union Muslim League, has retained the coastal Lok Sabha seat of Ramanathapuram.
“The entire process was seen only as a seatsharing exercise, and our party does not look at it as the
DMK bestowing seats on the alliance partners,” DMK Virudhunagar North district secretary Thangam Thennarasu said.
With Tamil Nadu being an important State for the INDIA bloc, the DMK looked at winnability in all 39 seats for the alliance as a whole rather than the party alone. “That is why we are fighting in more seats in the western belt where, according to public perception, the fight is expected to be tougher,” he said.
“As the major party in the alliance, the DMK has realised its responsibility, and has swapped the Tirunelveli and Theni Lok Sabha seats with the Congress. We have respected the alliance partners, and have been accommodative,” Mr. Thennarasu added.