The principal Opposition party AIADMK on Sunday held another round of talks with the Left parties on sharing of seats for the May Assembly elections but the deal fell short of being clinched due to minor hitches. However, the AIADMK continued to ink the pact with other allies, allotting three seats to the Manithaneya Makkal Katchi on Sunday.
The Manithaneya Makkal Katchi, a political offshoot of the Tamil Nadu Muslim Munnetra Kazhagam, was represented by its coordinator M.H. Jawahirulluh. He signed the agreement with AIADMK general secretary J. Jayalalithaa at her Poes Garden residence.
Parleys with the Left parties had commenced during the fag end of January at the AIADMK headquarters here. A three-member CPI team, comprising party state secretary D. Pandian, assistant secretaries C. Mahendran and G. Palanisamy held discussions with the three-member AIADMK team of former chief minister O. Pannerselvam and former ministers K.A. Sengottaiyan and Pollachi V. Jayaraman. The CPI(M) was represented by state secretary G. Ramakrishnan.
Asked about the number of seats his party would be allotted, Mr Pandian said, “The AIADMK high command will take a final decision. The talks have been smooth and they will conclude soon.”
The CPI(M), according to sources, has sought 18 seats and the CPI has asked for 15. In the 2006 Assembly elections, the CPI(M) won nine seats of the 13 it contested and the CPI bagged six of the 10 it contested. Both the parties had been in alliance with the DMK then.
The talks with another MDMK, which contested 36 seats and won six in the 2006 elections, will begin soon.