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The All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK), the main opposition party of Tamil Nadu, Wednesday said the party has finalised seat-sharing arrangement for the upcoming Lok Sabha elections with allies Desiya Murpokku Dravida Kazhagam (DMDK), Social Democratic Party of India (SDPI) and Puthiya Tamizhagam (PT).
Disclosing the electoral pacts with allies at party headquarters in Chennai, AIADMK general secretary Edappadi K Palaniswami said the DMDK will contest on five Lok Sabha constituencies—Tiruvallur, (SC reserved seat), Central Chennai, Cuddalore, Thanjavur and Virudhunagar. Puthiya Tamizhagam and SDPI were allocated one seat each—Tenkasi and Dindigul constituencies, Palaniswami added.
The pre-poll alliance pacts were signed with DMDK general secretary Premalatha Vijayakanth, PT chief K Krishansamy and SDPI’s state unit chief Nellai Mubarak in the state capital Chennai.
Earlier in the day, the party released the first list of 16 candidates for constituencies including North Chennai, South Chennai, Arakkonam, Kancheepuram and Villpuram (both reserved constituencies), among others for the April 19 Lok Sabha elections in the state. Former MP J Jayavardhan and ex-MLA Dr P Saravanan were prominent faces included in the list.
While releasing the first list of candidates, the party general secretary exuded confidence that the AIADMK-led alliance would sweep the polls. The AIADMK, which had faced the elections by itself in 2014, had won 37 of the 39 seats in the state, he recalled and said it was capable of repeating the performance.
Reacting to the several assurances made by the DMK in its manifesto for the upcoming Lok Sabha elections, Palaniswami questioned if the ruling party has fulfilled promises made ahead of the 2019 Parliamentary election and the 2021 Assembly polls.
“How many assurances has the DMK fulfilled? Ahead of the (2021) Assembly polls, the DMK had repeatedly affirmed that once it captured power it would scrap NEET for Tamil Nadu. Three years have gone by. However, the assurance has not been fulfilled,” he added.
“Though the DMK has 38 MPs in the outgoing Lok Sabha, they did not exert pressure on the Centre to get NEET annulled. That is why we say that people of Tamil Nadu will not get any benefit even if they (DMK) win elections,” Palaniswami said.
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Published: 20 Mar 2024, 11:03 PM IST
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