PMK to join DMK-Congress combine for assembly polls: Karunanidhi

Ending days of suspense, DMK President M Karunanidhi today announced that Paatali Makkal Katchi (PMK) will be part of the party-led alliance for the assembly elections in Tamil Nadu in May and that he will hold consultations with Congress top brass on seat-sharing arrangement.

Arriving in New Delhi on a three-day visit, Karunanidhi said he will meet Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and Congress President Sonia Gandhi tomorrow to discuss the seat-sharing arrangement between the two parties.

"I am here for election (related) talks. I will be meeting the prime minister, Congress chief Sonia Gandhi and discuss about the seat-sharing formula," he told reporters at the Tamil Nadu House here.

The two parties had earlier this month reaffirmed their commitment to continue their alliance for the assembly polls too.

The Tamil Nadu chief minister said he would discuss the number of seats to be contested by the Congress in the assembly elections, which are due in May.

"I will discuss with them the number of seats to be contested by the two parties and also what are the seats…," he said.

When asked whether the talks would be concluded during his stay in Delhi, he said, "I cannot say that."

Karunanidhi said PMK led by S Ramadoss, which fought the 2009 Lok Sabha elections along with the opposition AIADMK, will be part of the DMK-Congress combine during the assembly polls.

"Viduthalai Chiruthaigal Katchi (VCK), PMK and Muslim League will be part of the alliance," he said when asked whether there will be any other parties in the alliance.

This is the first time that the DMK has come out in the public to say that PMK will be part of its alliance though there were talks between the two parties on the issue.

The PMK has been cosying up to the DMK ever since it walked out of an AIADMK-led combine after the Lok Sabha polls.

But, the DMK refused to entertain the PMK last year when it denied a Rajya Sabha seat to former health minister A Ramadoss.

During the meeting with Singh and Gandhi, Karunanidhi will discuss the political situation in the state and also the number of seats to be contested by the alliance partners.

The DMK General Council on February 3 will ratify the alliance with Congress and PMK.

DMK sources said Karunanidhi will kick-off the talks tomorrow on the seat-sharing formula and an immediate deal is not possible.

While Congress is understood to have been demanding around 80 to 90 seats in the 234-member assembly, DMK is believed to allot 60-65 seats. Last time, Congress contested 48 seats.

The sources said hard bargaining is expected from the Congress side this time as the party is part of the alliance since 2004.

A senior Congress leader from Tamil Nadu said the party expected at least 80 to 90 seats, but could end up contesting around 65.

"We hope to get at least 65 seats. We also want the party to be part of the government if the alliance comes to power. But that decision has to be taken by our president," the leader said.