DMK takes tough stand, not to allocate Coimbatore seat to CPI-M

Chennai, Feb 25 (IANS) Tamil Nadu’s ruling DMK has refused to again allocate the Coimbatore Lok Sabha seat, currently held by the CPI-M, to it for the forthcoming Lok Sabha elections.

After the second round of discussions with the CPI-M leadership, DMK leaders said that they may not be able to allot the Coimbatore seat to the CPI-M.

The DMK team led by senior leader, T.R. Baalu, was adamant that the CPI-M should be satisfied with Madurai and another seat but not Coimbatore.

The CPI-M had won the Madurai and Coimbatore Lok Sabha seats, as part of the DMK-led alliance, in the 2019 polls.

IANS had reported that Tamil superstar, Kamal Haasan would be fielded as a DMK alliance candidate in either Coimbatore or Chennai. While Chennai North, South, and Central seats are held by the DMK, Coimbatore seat is represented by the CPI-M.

Kamal Haasan is founder president of Makkal Needhi Maiam (MNM) and is a better bet for the DMK than the CPI-M which is entirely piggy-backing on the DMK for a victory.

Kamal Haasan had contested the 2021 Assembly elections for his party from Coimbatore South constituency but lost to senior leader BJP Vanathi Sreenivasan by a margin of 1,504 votes. In the 2019 Lok Sabha elections, Kamal Haasan‘s MNM party leader, Dr.Mahendran had garnered 16 per cent of total votes polled and had reached the third place contesting the elections without any alliance.

These factors are the major considerations for the DMK while allocating the Coimbatore Lok Sabha seat. The CPI-M is, however, insisting on both the Madurai and Coimbatore seats to be allocated to it.

A third round of meetings between the CPI-M and the DMK is likely to be held on Monday and the seat sharing is likely to be finalised on Monday itself.

–IANS

aal/vd