Thirumavalavan’s VCK seeks 4 seats in Lok Sabha polls; DMDK clarifies ‘14-seat demand’
DMDK chief Premalatha Vijayakanth says it’s up to ‘whoever is heading the alliance’ to begin seat-sharing talks with her party.
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Viduthalai Chiruthaigal Katchi MP Thol Thirumavalavan (File Photo)Viduthalai Chiruthaigal Katchi MP Thol Thirumavalavan said on Monday that his party, which is part of the alliance led by Tamil Nadu’s ruling DMK, wished to contest four seats including one general seat in the upcoming Lok Sabha polls.
“We have sought four constituencies—three reserved constituencies and one general constituency—from the DMK. During our discussion, we shared our inputs on the strategies our alliance needs to win all the 40 constituencies, including Puducherry. This alliance has been functioning with utmost discipline since 2019. Across the country, the DMK-led alliance is the only one that has been facing elections continuously,” the Dalit leader told reporters outside the DMK headquarters in Chennai.
The Chidambaram MP said the VCK had handed over a list of the seats it wishes to contest to a committee led by DMK MP TR Baalu.
Thirumavalavan said the DMK-led alliance was based on ideology and had expanded into a mega national bloc called INDIA, adding that people knew about the current relationship between the AIADMK and the BJP, which were allies till recently. He also said the VCK had played a pivotal role in shaping up the national alliance, in which 28 parties have joined hands with the “single agenda of dethroning the BJP”.
“In the next round of talks, a final decision will be made. We have submitted a list comprising four reserved constituencies—Chidambaram, Villupuram, Kanchipuram and Tiruvallur—and asked the committee to allocate three of them. Perambalur, Mayiladuthurai and Kallakurichi are the general constituencies on our list. We have asked for one seat among them,” the VCK leader said.
Thirumavalavan added that after the next round of talks, the VCK would announce whether the party would, like in the 2019 elections, contest the polls on the DMK’s rising sun symbol.
Wish, not demand, says Premalatha Vijayakanth
Desiya Murpokku Dravida Kazhagam general secretary Premalatha Vijayakanth accused the media of incorrectly quoting her as having demanded 14 Lok Sabha seats as a condition for joining any alliance. According to her, what she discussed during her previous interaction with the media was just a wish expressed by the DMDK’s district secretaries.
“I still see many reports saying that we are holding talks with this and that party… There are no secrets. This is an election and there is no necessity to hold backdoor talks. With whomever we hold talks, we will be doing it in a transparent manner. Whoever is heading the alliance, be it the DMK, AIADMK or the BJP, it is they who should begin the alliance talks and only then will this discussion reach the final stage,” she told reporters on Monday.
Commenting on her reported demand for one Rajya Sabha seat, Premalatha said every party in the state had a member in Parliament and that there was nothing wrong if the DMDK sought from its alliance partner one seat in the Upper House.
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