Chennai, Feb 18: In a recent development, the DMK has agreed to allocate seven Lok Sabha seats to the Congress, a reduction from the 16 seats initially demanded by the latter. During the 2019 general elections, the Congress contested nine seats as part of the Secular Progressive Alliance (SPA) led by the DMK.
Despite winning eight seats, the party faced defeat in the Theni Lok Sabha constituency, where O.P. Raveendranathan of AIADMK emerged victorious, defeating senior Congress leader E.V.K.S. Elangovan.
Sources reveal that the Congress presented an extensive list of candidates, prompting the DMK team, led by T.R. Baalu, to emphasize a cap of seven seats during negotiations.
Earlier consultations by DMK District Secretaries highlighted the necessity of limiting Congress’ seat allocation due to its constrained grassroots presence.
However, there are expectations within the Congress state leadership for intervention from Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi to negotiate for additional seats from the DMK Chief. A senior DMK leader emphasized the marginal presence of Congress in most constituencies, underscoring that the allotted seven seats are more than adequate.
