Tamil Nadu Assembly election: Stalemate over DMK-Congress seat-sharing talks

The DMK has been unable to fix a date for seat-sharing talks with the Congress ahead of the Tamil Nadu Assembly elections, as the Congress leadership has refused to scale down the number of seats it is demanding. “All I can say is that the stalemate continues. The Congress wants 40 seats — one seat for each Lok Sabha constituency, a number that is impossible for us to accommodate,” a DMK source said.

Earlier, the DMK had asked the Congress leadership to be ready for talks on February 26 or 27. However, as of now, there is no confirmation of a date.

Chief Minister M.K. Stalin, who is in Kanniyakumari district to participate in various functions, is learnt to have told local Congress MLAs — the district has three MLAs — that the DMK is under pressure to give seats to smaller parties that have joined its alliance.

In Kanniyakumari, where Christians form a core vote bank of the Congress-DMK alliance, there is growing concern over the lack of progress in talks between the two parties. Catholic and CSI bishops, along with pastors of various denominations, have expressed apprehension over the developments. A split in the DMK-Congress alliance, they feel, would benefit the AIADMK and the BJP, both of which are active in the district.

“It is not just about the Assembly election. A break-up will have far-reaching consequences in the Lok Sabha polls as well,” they have reportedly told local Congress MLAs.