The deadlock centres on seat numbers. The DMK continues to stand by its “composite” offer of 25 assembly seats to the Congress, the same allocation as in 2021, along with one Rajya Sabha berth. However, the Congress has found this proposal unacceptable.
Selvaperunthagai had visited Chidambaram earlier on Tuesday and following a discussion, both leaders made their way to the CM’s residence. Chidambaram did not address the media after his interaction with the CM.
Until now, All India Congress Committee in-charge for Tamil Nadu, Girish Chodankar, who hails from Goa, was negotiating with the DMK as head of his party’s seat-sharing committee. However, tensions arose between the two parties and senior leaders of the party brought in Chidambaram to negotiate with the ruling DMK. The DMK, on its part, is believed to have set March 3 as the informal deadline for the Congress high command to conclude seat-sharing negotiations for the upcoming Tamil Nadu assembly election, making it clear that it cannot afford further delay, especially with the Rajya Sabha biennial polls fast approaching.
The last date for filing nominations for the March 16 Rajya Sabha elections is March 5.
Chodankar had on Monday said the DMK’s offer of 25 seats to the Congress was not acceptable. “We have been associated with DMK for a very long time. Whenever they were in a crisis, we reduced our quota. Now, it is their turn,” he said.
Chodankar said he hoped the party’s wish list, submitted to the DMK, would be accepted, as “only then we can continue with this (negotiations)”.
