DMK seals poll pact with VCK ahead of Tamil Nadu assembly polls, allots six seats

Further explaining reasons behind accepting the pact, Thirumavalavan said, “If we (secular forces) are not on the same page, there are chances of our votes getting split. This will only benefit our opponents and we don’t want that to happen.”

Commenting on expelled AIADMK leader VK Sasikala’s decision to step aside from politics, Thirumavalavan said he does not know whether Sasikala took the decision by herself or was threatened by the BJP to do so.

“She asked AIADMK workers to fight together to defeat DMK. This shows that she wants TTV Dhinakaran’s AMMK to join AIADMK. This is their internal matter, but we are confident that the DMK-led alliance will win the polls,” he added.

Before heading to the DMK headquarters, VCK had held a meeting with the office bearers of the party. A section of the VCK’s members had assembled outside the office and raised slogans urging the party to not settle for six seats. Thirumavalavan had come out then and said that certain decisions are taken considering the welfare of the party.

According to sources, VCK agreed to settle for six seats as DMK gave them the constituencies they had asked for. Kaatumannarkoil and Bhuvanagiri constituencies in Cuddalore district, Kunnam in Perambalur district, and Shollinganallur in Chennai are some of the seats that VCK wanted.

The pact with VCK comes barely two days after DMK allocated three seats to the Indian Union Muslim League (IUML) and two constituencies to Manithaneya Makkal Katchi. The seat-sharing deal with the Congress and other left parties are yet to be finalised.