DMDK chief Vijayakant has formally pulled out of the AIADMK-led alliance in Tamil Nadu after seat-sharing talks failed on Tuesday.
In a statement on Tuesday, DMDK chief Vijayakant said, “In the upcoming Tamil Nadu Assembly elections 2021, DMDK held talks with AIADMK in three sittings. The AIADMK refused to allot the requested numbers of the seats and the demanded seats. So as the negotiations did not reach a desired conclusion and since all of DMDK district secretaries reached a decision, DMDK has decided to quit AIADMK and DMDK alliance from March 9.”
However, the DMDK chief has not revealed the party’s next course of action and it is not yet known if the party will join another alliance or face the polls alone. Kamal Haasan and TTV Dhinakaran have both formed two different fronts in the state.
The AIADMK had reportedly offered Vijayakant’s DMDK 12 Assembly seats in the April 6 elections on Monday. However, the DMDK has been demanding at least 23 seats, the same number allotted to Ramadoss’ PMK. The DMDK had originally demanded 41 seats when seat-sharing talks began with the AIADMK. But had to scale down their demand to 18 seats when negotiations stalled.
Vijayakant’s brother-in-law LK Sudhish had last week hinted at contesting the Assembly elections alone. He had taken to social media to say, “Our Chief Minister Vijayakant, our symbol Murasu and our flag is DMDK party flag”.
The DMDK which had managed to secure 7.8% vote share in 2011, saw that number dipping to 2.4% in 2016. The party had in fact polled less than the BJP which had managed to secure 2,8% votes in 2016. Sources in the AIADMK say that the DMDK was wanted 18 seats, while they were ready to allot only 12.
The DMDK had in 2016 contested along with the Makkal Nala Kootani or the People’s Welfare Front (PWF), which comprised the VCK, Left parties and the MDMK. However, the alliance failed to win a single seat and collapsed after the polls.