The Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) reached a seat-sharing agreement for the 2024 Lok Sabha elections with the Indian Union Muslim League (IUML) and the Kongunadu Makkal Desiya Katchi (KMDK) on Saturday, February 24. The Ramanathapuram constituency was allotted to IUML while KMDK got Namakkal.
The final round of discussions with the IUML was held in Anna Arivalayam in which DMK chief MK Stalin and KM Kader Mohideen, national president of IUML, participated. As per reports, IUML had asked for the same constituency as the last Lok Sabha polls and additionally a Rajya Sabha seat for the party.
It is to be noted that the IUML was given the Ramanathapuram ticket in the 2019 general elections too. The IUML had fielded K Navas Kani who won against the Bharatiya Janata Party’s (BJP) Nainar Nagenthran. The IUML secured 44.05% of votes whereas the BJP garnered 32.13% of the votes.
In a press meet, Kader Mohideen said that the DMK suggested that the sitting MP Navas Kani be fielded for the upcoming election too. “We have decided the same but the announcement will be made officially in our general body meeting in Tiruchirappalli,” he noted, adding that the discussion at Arivalayam only revolved around the Lok Sabha seat sharing and not about the Rajya Sabha seat.
After finalising the deal with the DMK, KMDK general secretary ER Eswaran said that AKP Chinraj, who had won from Namakkal in 2019, had told the media that he would not contest again. “There is an opportunity for a new face. We will take a decision in our executive committee meeting,” the Hindu quoted Eswaran as saying.