BJP to contest in 23 seats

By Our Special Correspondent

CHENNAI, MARCH 9. The DMK, heading the NDA in Tamil Nadu, today clinched a seat-sharing deal with one of its key allies, the BJP, apportioning 23 seats to the latter for the coming Assembly elections, besides the Tiruchirappalli Lok Sabha seat, where a by-poll is due.

After a 45-minute meeting with the BJP's State leaders, the DMK president and Chief Minister, Mr. M. Karunanidhi, announced here this evening that both the parties had reached an accord for the coming elections, under which the BJP would contest 23 seats in the State.

Mr. Karunanidhi on the DMK's behalf and the BJP's State president, Mr. S. P. Kirubanidhi, on his party's behalf inked the agreement, which was read out by the former at a joint press conference at the DMK's headquarters here.

Even as Mr. Kirubanidhi declared that they were ``extremely satisfied'' with the accord, the quick settlement topped an hour- long discussion in the morning between the poll negotiation panels of the DMK and BJP, headed by the State Minister, Mr. Arcot N. Veeraswami and the Union Minister, Mr. Pon. Radhakrishnan respectively.

Replying to media queries, Mr.Karunanidhi said as the BJP already held the Tiruchi Lok Sabha seat, they were entitled to it. The Assembly constituencies to be allotted to the BJP would be finalised later, while the seat-sharing for the Pondicherry Assembly election would be discussed separately, he said.

Stating that the DMK hoped to finalise the seat- sharing arrangement with the other NDA allies in a week's time, Mr. Karunanidhi said the campaigning would begin after the alliance talks was completed with all the parties.

The Prime Minister, Mr. A. B. Vajpayee, would be coming for the NDA campaign in the State, he said in reply to another question.

Mr. Vajpayee's ``image'', the BJP heading the NDA at the national level, it having accommodated several Ministers from Tamil Nadu in the Union Cabinet and the BJP's ``pockets of influence'' in the Southern and Western districts of Tamil Nadu, are said to be some of the considerations that weighed in Mr. Karunanidhi's mind in DMK sharing 23 seats with the BJP.

Though the BJP had put forward its ``requirements'' to the DMK leadership from amongst the 62 seats the former had identified to contest for the 234-member Assembly, Mr. Veeraswami had hinted in the morning that the BJP was flexible as it was keen that DMK should form the Government on its own.

Whether the BJP seeking the ``number two'' status in the DMK-led front in the State had been conceded would be known once DMK finalised the seat-sharing with its other important ally, the MDMK led by Mr. Vaiko. The DMK also began talks with other allies like MGR-Kazhagam today.

On reports about the TRC Chief, Mr. Vazhapadi K. Ramamurthy joining the BJP, Mr. Karunanidhi said he was not aware of it. However, the BJP's State General Secretary, Mr. L. Ganesan, said the TRC leader himself had denied it.

To another query, Mr. Karunanidhi said the Information Minister, Mr. V. Mullaivendan's resignation had been accepted by the Governor and the portfolio had been allocated to the Tourism Minister, Mr. Suresh Rajan.

Meanwhile, former TNCC(I) president, Mr. Kumari Ananthan, who had floated a new outfit, `Thondar Congress', met Mr. Karunanidhi at his residence here and conveyed his decision to join the DMK-led NDA.

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Section  : Southern States
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