Tamil Nadu: The Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) and Congress on Saturday finalised seat-sharing in Tamil Nadu and Puducherry for the upcoming Lok Sabha elections. According to the seat-sharing pact, the Congress will be contesting nine seats in Tamil Nadu and one in Puducherry, PTI reported.
The DMK will contest on 21 seats; CPI, CPM and VCA on two seats each; MDMK, IUML and KNMK on one seat each. While Kamal Haasan's MNM will get one Rajya Sabha seat in 2025.
"Congress will contest elections on 9 seats in Tamil Nadu and one seat in Puducherry. On the remaining seats, we will support the candidates of DMK and alliance parties. We will win all 40 seats of Tamil Nadu," said Congress MP KC Venugopal.
I.N.D.I.A bloc seat-sharing in Tamil Nadu and Puducherry
- DMK - 21
- Congress - 9 in Tamil Nadu and One in Puducherry
- Communist Party of India (CPI) - 2
- Communist Party of India (Marxist) CPM - 2
- Viduthalai Chiruthaigal Katchi (VCK) -2
- Marumalarchi Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (MDMK) - 1
- Indian Union Muslim League (IUML) - 1
- Kongu Nadu Munnetra Kazhagam (KNMK) - 1 (On DMK symbol)
- Kamal Haasan's Makkal Needhi Maiam (MNM) - One Rajya Sabha seat in 2025
Actor-politician Kamal Haasan's MNM joined the DMK-led bloc, but said it would not contest the coming Lok Sabha polls, contrary to expectations.
Tamil Nadu has a total of 39 Lok Sabha seats while Puducherry has one parliamentary seat.
The ruling party (DMK) leads the multi-party Secular Progressive Alliance (SPA) in Tamil Nadu. SPA had swept the 2019 polls, winning 38 of the 39 parliamentary constituencies in the state, besides the neighbouring Puducherry union territory.
Addressing reporters, Venugopal exuded confidence of the DMK-led combine winning all 40 seats in Tamil Nadu and Puducherry and said the 'bonding' between the Congress and the DMK "is intact.
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