Stalemate persists in DMK-Cong talks in Pondy, today is last day to file papers | Chennai News
Chennai: The standoff between the DMK and the Congress over seat sharing for Puducherry assembly election continued on Sunday, despite the March 23 deadline for filing nominations nearing.Former Union finance minister P Chidambaram called on Tamil Nadu chief minister M K Stalin in a bid to resolve the impasse. DMK leader S Jagathrakshagan also met Stalin.After the meeting, Congress in-charge Girish Chodankar said that the DMK representatives reached Puducherry on Sunday evening continuing the negotiation. While Congress wanted to contest in 20 seats, DMK has been insisting on 14 seats if not 15 seats in the 30-member assembly. In addition to the difference over seats, the discussion revolved around allocation of seats which were claimed by functionaries from both the parties.The discussions were stuck over a set of constituencies, including Nellithope, Raj Bhavan, Muthialpet, Kalapet and Mannadipet. Congress had sought these segments, while DMK too demanded them citing its past performance and organisational strength in these areas.“The issue is who should contest in how many seats. We believe that the Congress is strong in Puducherry, so more seats should go to the party. Sometimes, it’s not easy to decide. We are all in an alliance, so we will have to take all aspects into account before taking a final decision,” said T S Singh Deo, AICC screening committee member chairperson for Tamil Nadu and Puducherry.The friction was also due to the broader question over leadership of the alliance in the Union territory. The issue gained ground after Stalin in Dec 2022 spoke about the need for a “Dravidian model” govt in Puducherry, a line that local DMK leaders have echoed since. Congress leaders responded by asserting their primacy in the region, sharpening differences between them.Congress leader V Vaithilingam reiterated that the party has traditionally led alliances in Puducherry and expressed confidence that the next govt would be formed under its leadership.
