Chennai, March 24 The ruling DMK signed the seat-sharing agreement with its ally VCK on Tuesday, allotting it eight seats, including two general constituencies, to contest in the April 23 Tamil Nadu Assembly election.
The agreement was signed by Chief Minister M K Stalin, who is the DMK president, and VCK chief Thol Thirumavalavan, at Anna Arivalayam, the DMK state headquarters here, in the presence of leaders of both parties.
The VCK, which had earlier sought 10 seats, finally settled for eight during the second round of negotiations held on Tuesday. As per the agreement, the VCK will contest from six reserved constituencies and two general seats, as part of the DMK-led Secular Progressive Alliance.
Later, speaking to reporters, Thirumavalavan said his party obtained the two general constituencies that it had sought.
"There are 18 parties in the SPA, which recently took in new entrants, and hence the seat-sharing negotiations among the allies are likely to prolong. The seat-sharing talks with all the parties will be finalized in two or three days," he said.
In response to a question about the VCK settling for a single-digit number despite asking for more, the VCK leader replied, "When the DMK has come forward and sacrificed its seats, it is our duty to give up the seats for the sake of the alliance."
In response to a question, he said that the people of Tamil Nadu would not allow the NDA to form a government but would support the SPA.
"The BJP-AIADMK alliance is totally wrong. The people will not allow the NDA to form the government here," the VCK leader said and expressed confidence that the DMK-led alliance will make a clean sweep in the 2026 Assembly election.
In addition to the 8 seats allocated to the VCK, the Congress was allotted the maximum of 28 seats, CPI and CPI (M): five each, IUML, KMDK, and MMK: 2 each, and Vaiko-led MDMK 4 seats by the DMK.
The Dravidian major would engage the Premalatha Vijayakanth-led DMDK and actor Kamal Haasan's MNM, in talks and would apportion seats to them and finally announce the number of seats that it would contest.