Tamil Nadu: Congress-DMK rift over seat sharing worsens

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Chennai:  Just a month ahead of Assembly polls in Tamil Nadu, the seven-year-old Congress-DMK alliance seems to be on the verge of collapse as the partners cannot agree on seat sharing. 

Sources have told NDTV that DMK's TR Baalu is likely to meet Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee to convey that the party could even withdraw its support to the UPA govt.

The two parties have held three rounds of discussions on seat sharing for the April 13 Assembly elections, but there has been little headway. The Congress wants to contest many more seats than the 48 it had fought on in the last elections and, if the alliance comes to power, wants to be included in the government.

DMK chief Karunanidhi is appalled.  He says he has offered 60 seats, but the 63 that the Congress wants is unfair
In a statement in Chennai, Karunanidhi said, "According to the formula, both parties agreed the Congress would get only 51 seats. But we offered 60 seats. Is it right to demand 63 seats? Is it fair to expect us to okay constituencies they choose? DMK's high-level meet on Saturday will take an appropriate decision."

The DMK will hold an internal meeting on Saturday to discuss the Congress' demands, and will also discuss its election manifesto.

With all the controversy that the partners have been mired in in the last few months, coupled with the traditional anti-incumbency challenge, this will not be an easy election to fight. It does not help that the past few weeks have been tough on the Congress-DMK relationship with the CBI's investigation into the 2G scam extending to some of the DMK's senior-most leaders, including Karunanidhi's daughter Kanimozhi. A Raja, the DMK leader who was Telecom Minister till November and was forced to resign much to the DMK's chagrin, is now in jail.

Tamil Nadu will vote on April 13, and the results will be declared on May 13 for the state's 234 seats.