Actor-politician Vijayakanth’s Desiya Murpokku Dravidar Kazhagam (DMDK) is all set to sign a poll pact with the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA), which includes ruling All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK), after failed negotiations with DMK.

The DMDK is likely to get five Lok Sabha seats and assurance for one Rajya Sabha seat as part of the alliance, sources said.

According to the state Minister for Tamil Official Language and Tamil Culture Mafoi Pandiyarajan, AIADMK coordinator and Tamil Nadu deputy chief minister O Panneerselvam will make the formal announcement within two days.

“We have been talking with the DMDK. Everything has been sorted out in our negotiations. Within one or two days, we will sign the poll pact. Our coordinator and deputy chief minister will make the formal announcement,” he said.

After a day-long office bearers meeting chaired by DMDK president Vijayakanth on Friday, the former celluloid star’s party has decided to enter into the AIADMK-BJP combine.

“Our leader has heard our opinions regarding the alliance. Since many of our party workers expressed the opinion that we must join hands with AIADMK-BJP front, Vijayakanth has agreed that,” said a high-level committee member who did not want to be named.

According to DMK sources, they were unable to meet the demands of DMDK.

“We already have too many partners including Congress, CPI, CPI(M), Vaiko’s Marumalarchi Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (MDMK), Viduthalai Chiruthaigal Katchi (VCK, a Dalit Party), Kongunadu Makkal Desiya Kazhagam (KMDK, an OBC Kongu Vellalar Gounder Caste Party), Indian Union Muslim League (IUML) and Manithaneya Makkal Katchi (MMK) – both Muslim parties. Therefore we are not in a position to sacrifice more numbers of seats for the DMDK. We were ready to offer a maximum of four seats. However, they have asked seven seats and assurance for one Rajya Sabha seat. So, we did not proceed with alliance talks,” said a DMK MP, wishing anonymity.

The AIADMK has already signed a poll pact with BJP and Pattali Makkal Katchi (PMK, an OBC Vanniyar caste party). While five seats have been allotted to BJP, the PMK has bagged seven LS seats with an assurance of one RS seat.

“Also the TN state Election Commission has promised the Madras High Court’s Madurai bench that the state local body elections will be conducted within May. So, the AIADMK has promised 20% of local body seats for DMDK. That was also another reason why DMDK was ready to align with us,” claimed an AIADMK leader.

According to Suba Gunarajan, political analyst, DMDK’s tie-up with the NDA front in the state was expected.

“When Vijayakanth launched his party in 2005, he was a major leader. When DMDK had faced the polls alone, it had secured 8% vote share in 2006 assembly and 10% vote share in 2009 LS polls. However in the last 2016 TNLA assembly election, the DMDK’s vote share had come down to 2.8%. Having to satisfy its existing allies, the DMK-Congress front would have been hard-pressed to satisfy DMDK’s demands and thus it was natural that it would go to the AIADMK front.”

With clarity coming in after the decision of DMDK, the DMK which has signed the poll pact with Congress and KMDK is all set to allocate seats in its alliance by Monday. Already the Congress has got nine seats in TN and the lone seat in Puducherry. The DMK has also offered one seat to KMDK.

First Published: Mar 01, 2019 19:12 IST