AIADMK reaches pact with TMC, Cong.

By Radha Venkatesan

CHENNAI, APRIL 14. Giving five from its own list of constituencies, the AIADMK today concluded an agreement with the TMC-Congress combine and completed the electoral line-up of the secular front. All the other allies have already reached an understanding with the AIADMK on seats allocation.

After having kept for itself 21 of the constituencies won by the TMC in the last election, and having given away another three to the PMK, the AIADMK returned five of these seats to the TMC. The five, obtained after some tough negotiations on the part of the TMC, were: Thandarampattu, Cumbum, Thiruvadanai, Vasudevanallur and Sathankulam.

Besides, two constituencies earlier offered to the CPI - Manamadurai and Killiyoor - were put in the TMC list before the TMC president, Mr. G. K. Moopanar, decided to sign the agreement with the AIADMK general secretary, Ms. Jayalalitha.

After announcing the AIADMK list of constituencies, Ms. Jayalalitha made seven changes under pressure from allies: Apart from the five seats now given to the TMC, she had handed over Ponneri and Harur from the AIADMK list to the CPI. Instead of these seven, Ms. Jayalalitha now is left with Pallipet, Ulundurpet, Krishnagiri, Perambalur, Srirangam, Kumbakonam, and Alangudi. The TMC, though denied as many as 20 of the 39 seats it won in the last election, finally accepted the package. In the words of Mr. Moopanar: ``We have managed to get the best. The AIADMK too has its pressures.''

The TMC leader, recovering from a hip bone dislocation, said he would begin his campaign after a week's rest. But the discontent in the TMC camp was palpable as 12 of the 20 MLAs who were deprived of their sitting seats could not even get an `alternative constituency.'

The key loser was the TMC general secretary, Mr. K. S. Alagiri, for whom the TMC tried in vain till last night, to get Bhuvanagiri instead of his Chidambaram seat which was given to the PMK. The party's efforts to retain Ariyalur, Radhapuram and Melur also failed. While Mr. Alagiri and Ariyalur MLA, Mr. M. Amaramurthy asserted that they would remain `loyal soldiers of Mr. Moopanar,' Bhavani MLA, Mr. S. N. Balasubramaniam joined the TMC Democratic Forum of the suspended TMC leader, Mr. P. Chidambaram.

In the reallocation, the AIADMK withdrew the offer of Pallipet, TMC's existing seat. But the party managed to find `suitable' seats for some of its key leaders including former Union Minister, Mr. S. R. Balasubramaniam, party vice-president, Mr. K. Paramalai and treasurer, Mr. D. Sudarshanam.

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Section  : Southern States
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