New Delhi: With ruling DMK in Tamil Nadu rejecting the demands of power sharing from a section of Congress’s state unit, some grand old party leaders are still in favour of the same, arguing that it rightly deserves increased number of seats and power sharing formula in the southern state.
Despite under pressure from many leaders, Congress MP Manickam Tagore on Tuesday took to X and wrote: “We will continue to fight for Power sharing and we will get it.'”
Even Tamil Nadu Incharge Girish Chodankar, who is batting that Congress should be treated as ‘equals in alliance’.
But Tagore has emerged as the strongest advocate for power sharing alliance in Tamil Nadu.
Earlier this week while speaking to The Daily Guardian, Tagore also maintained that the DMzk has been one of the oldest and strongest ally partner of the Congress for last 22 years.
He gas maintained that Congress has been in talks with the ruling DMK through the negotiation committee formed by party chief Mallikarjun Kharge in the state under Chodankar, which had met chief minister and DMK chief MK Stalin on December 3.
Meanwhile, party insiders maintained that negotiation committee under the leadership of Chodankar has been given mandate to discuss not only seats but also possible power sharing agreement with DMK leadership.
Some senior leaders maintained that despite having alliance with the DMK in the Deavidian state for more than teo decades, the Congrrsd has been out of power sharing formula and it must vouch for power now.
Tamil Nadu’s Screening Committee chairman TS Singh Deo acknowledged that Stalin’s DMK has been one of the old and trusted alliance partner of the Congress.
Deo, who is former Chhattisgarh Deputy Chief Minister, however, pointed out the difference of seats the party contests in Lok Sabha and Assembly polls.
He explained that there are many party leaders in Tamil Nadu who are in favour of getting power share in the state.
‘He highlighted that in Loksabha, we contest around 10 LokSabha seats out of 40 in Tamil Nadu and Puducherry, which is equivalent to 25 percent seats.
But in Assembly, the grand old party contests around 25 out of 234 seats which is 10 percent.
He opined that the things will be sorted out soon.
Earlier on Sunday, DMK Cabinet Minister Periyasamy asserted that there “would be no coalition government in Tamil Nadu.
In 2006, the Congress had contested on 48 seats, while in 2011, it contested on 63 seats.
It contested on 42 seats in 2016, and in 2021, the number was reduced to 25 seats in Tamil Nadu.
This time Congress too eyeing seats somewhere between 35-40 seats.
Sources close to DMK said while it is unlikely to accommodate power sharing formula being floated by the Congress in the state, but it might consider to increase number seats of Congress if it provides proper names of assembly constituencies, probable candidates and survey report etc to match its demand.
