Chennai, Mar 26 (PTI) With the battle lines clearly drawn, the opposition AIADMK made a headstart to take on the DMK in certain urban centres considered to be the ruling party’s stronghold.
Determined to win over 210 seats out of 234 Assembly constituencies in the state, the AIADMK has announced that it would contest from 169 seats, while the DMK has readied its poll battle machinery in as many as 175 constituencies. For its part, the Stalin-led party has set a target to secure over 200 seats.
The AIADMK would take on the DMK in about 13 Constituencies (out of 16) in Chennai, which has been electing the Chief Minister M K Stalin, Deputy Chief Minister Udhayanidhi, Health Minister Ma Subramanian and Hindu Religious and Charitable Endowments Minister P K Sekar Babu, to name the very prominent persons in the DMK.
The AIADMK has allotted three seats to its allies while retaining 13.
Though Seeman-led Naam Tamilar Katchi is in the fray in all the constituencies, actor-politician Vijay is gearing up to announce his TVK party candidates for 234 seats in the high-stakes poll battle.
He is likely to hit the campaign trail this week. Only these two leaders with a film background would take on the Dravidian majors that are backed with numerous political parties, respectively, in the election on April 23.
The results will be announced on May 4.
The AIADMK-led NDA has the BJP, which will contest from 27 seats, the PMK: 18, AMMK: 11, TMC (M): 5 (on BJP’s Lotus symbol) besides Indhiya Jananayaga Katchi: 2, 1 seat each to Tamizhaga Makkal Munnetra Kazhagam and Puratchi Bharatham – thus apportioning 65 seats.
The AIADMK has retained a lion’s share of seats, accounting for 169.
Palaniswami finalised the seat-sharing pact with seven political parties in two days, starting from March 23. On March 25, he announced the constituencies from where the constituents would contest and launched the campaign for the NDA from Mylapore in Chennai, where the BJP is contesting.
In the DMK-led Secular Progressive Alliance, the Congress will enter the poll fray from 28 seats, DMDK: 10, VCK: 8, left parties: 5 each, and MDMK: 4, one seat each to SDPI, Mukkulathor Puli Padai Katchi (both parties contesting in Rising Sun symbol) and Manithaneya Jananayaga Katchi, and 2 each to IUML, the Kongunadu Makkal Desiya Katchi and the Manithaneya Makkal Katchi.
KMDK and MMK are set to contest polls under the DMK’s symbol. The MDMK will contest in the ‘Rising Sun’ symbol in 3 out of the 4 seats it has been given by the DMK.
The campaign is likely to intensify from next week, when the filing of nomination papers will formally commence from March 30. PTI JSP JSP ROH
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