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As Tamil Nadu prepares for assembly elections, the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) has requested its alliance partners to reduce their seat demands to make space for new entrants in the front.
The DMK’s seven-member seat sharing committee, led by party treasurer TR Baalu, met with Indian Union Muslim League (IUML) national president KM Kader Mohideen and senior party functionaries on Sunday, February 22, at Anna Arivalayam, the DMK headquarters in Chennai.
Addressing the media after the meeting, Kader Mohideen said the IUML had initially sought five seats, two more than the three it contested in 2021, but the DMK proposed reducing this to two.
“The DMK also said they are willing to give up some of their own seats. No final decision has been taken yet. We will discuss internally and respond in the next round of talks,” he added.
In the 2021 elections, IUML contested Vaniyambadi, Chidambaram and Kadayanallur, but lost all three. Reports suggest that the DMK is likely to allot Ambur and Papanasam to IUML this time.
The meeting took an unexpected turn when Kader Mohideen (86), fainted during the press conference after the discussions. Reports say he has been fasting for Ramzan. IUML functionaries quickly brought him inside Anna Arivalayam, where he received first aid before being taken to a nearby private hospital. His condition is reportedly stable.
Earlier, Chief Minister and DMK’s president MK Stalin met the seven-member committee to guide the talks. The party is scheduled to meet their allies, including the Marumalarchi Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (MDMK) and Manithaneya Makkal Katchi (MMK) in the upcoming days.