The Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) announced on Tuesday that it will contest on 20 of the 39 Lok Sabha seats in Tamil Nadu in the upcoming general elections. Its ally, Congress, will contest in 9 seats while other alliance partners will contest in the remaining 10.
Congress will also be contesting in the lone LS seat of Puducherry.
DMK chief MK Stalin said that his party and its allies will begin discussions on constituency allotment on 7 March.
Speaking to reporters in Chennai on Tuesday after the seat-sharing meeting with alliance partners at the DMK headquarters, Stalin said that Manithaneya Makkal Katchi (MMK) will not be a part of the alliance.
“We have allocated 10 seats, including Puducherry, to our alliance partner Congress and other 10 have been given to our other alliance partners. DMK will contest on the remaining 20 seats,” he said.
“On 7 March, we will begin the identification of the seats for both DMK and alliance partners,” he added.
Among the allies, the CPI, CPI(M) and VCK would contest in two seats each. One seat each has been allocated to MDMK, IUML, IJK and KMDK.
Vaiko-led MDMK was also allotted Rajya Sabha seat.
“This time there is no space for Manithaneya Makkal Katchi in our alliance,” Stalin said, referring to the party headed by MH Jawahirullah which had allied with DMK in the 2016 assembly elections in the state.
Stalin reportedly said that he has sought MMK’s support for the party.
The DMK chief said that he will share the stage with Congress president Rahul Gandhi at an election rally to be held on 13 March.
On 19 February, the BJP formed an alliance with the All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK).
Speaking to reporters at the Crowne Plaza hotel, Tamil Nadu Deputy Chief Minister O Panneerselvam said that the BJP will be contesting five Lok Sabha seats from Tamil Nadu.
“AIADMK and BJP will have an alliance for Lok Sabha elections which will be a mega and winning alliance,” he said, adding, “BJP will contest on five seats in Lok Sabha elections and we will be contesting together in Tamil Nadu and Puducherry.”
Read More | Lok Sabha polls 2019: BJP-AIADMK form alliance in Tamil Nadu, BJP to contest on 5 LS seats
AIADMK has also clinched a poll alliance with the Pattali Makkal Katchi (PMK).