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Business News/ Politics / Policy/  Vijayakanth’s rebel group Makkal DMDK bags three seats from DMK
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Vijayakanth’s rebel group Makkal DMDK bags three seats from DMK

Makkal DMDK will contest under DMK's 'rising sun' symbol in the upcoming 16 May assembly polls

DMK chief M. Karunanidhi releases his party’s manifesto for the Tamil Nadu assembly elections at party headquarters in Chennai on Sunday. Photo: PTIPremium
DMK chief M. Karunanidhi releases his party’s manifesto for the Tamil Nadu assembly elections at party headquarters in Chennai on Sunday. Photo: PTI

Chennai: The rebels from actor-turned-politician Vijayakanth’s Desiya Murpokku Dravida Kazhagam (DMDK) who floated a new party last week—Makkal DMDK—will contest from three assembly seats as part of the alliance led by Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK), the party said on Tuesday.

The new outfit will contest under DMK’s “rising sun" symbol in the upcoming 16 May assembly polls.

The DMK, which finalized a seat-sharing pact with the Congress on 4 April, allotted 41 seats to the latter. Other minor parties that are part of the alliance have also been assigned seats.

The DMK announced on Tuesday that its chief M. Karunanidhi will contest from Tiruvarur though it is yet to release the names of all its candidates.

The leaders of the Makkal DMDK, who met Karunanidhi on Monday and extended their unconditional support to the alliance, have been allocated Erode (East), Mettur and Gummidipoondi assembly seats.

Makkal DMDK leader V.C. Chandrakumar will contest from Erode, C.H. Sekar will fight it out from Gumminipondi and S.R. Parthiban has been allotted Mettur constituency.

It was Karunanidhi’s son and DMK treasurer M.K. Stalin who extended an invitation to the Makkal DMDK.

Makkal DMDK was formed after some members were expelled from DMDK on 5 April after they opposed Vijayakanth’s decision to ally with the People’s Welfare Front (PWF).

Rebel leader Chandrakumar, former propaganda secretary of the DMDK, had said: “Joining PWF is suicidal. We will only lose and pave the way for the incumbent AIADMK’s win." He had added that more than 95% of party functionaries wanted a tie-up with DMK, and that the ruling AIADMK had encouraged the PWF-DMDK tie-up to split opposition votes.

The dissenters had also accused Vijayakanth’s wife Premalatha of becoming the deciding authority within the party. They claimed that while the actor-turned-politician was in talks with the DMK, his wife had initiated talks with the PWF.

Meanwhile, discontent has reared its head in the Tamil Maanila Congress (TMC) over leader G.K. Vasan’s decision to ally with the PWF. Senior functionaries Peter Alphonse, P. Vishwanthan and others are likely to return to their “parent party" Congress on Wednesday in the presence of Tamil Nadu Congress president E.V.K.S. Elangovan, who has invited the members who expressed displeasure over TMC’s alliance.

The TMC, which tied up with the PWF-DMDK on 9 April, has been allocated 26 constituencies by its alliance partners.

The PWF-DMDK-TMC, which will announce its candidate list on Wednesday, has also allocated 25 seats each to the Communist Party of India, Communist Party of India (Marxist) and Viduthalai Chiruthaigal Katchi, and 29 seats to Vaiko-led Marumalarchi Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (MDMK). The DMDK will contest from 104 assembly constituencies, of the total 234 seats.

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Published: 13 Apr 2016, 11:27 AM IST
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