The DMK will contest in 20 seats and its allies in 19 constituencies  in Tamil Nadu and one in Puducherry in the coming Lok Sabha elections.

At the end of seat-sharing talks with allies at the party headquarters on Tuesday morning, DMK president M.K. Stalin said the Congress would contest in 10 seats, including Puducherry; the CPI, the CPI(M) and the VCK in two each; and the MDMK, the IUML, the IJK and the KMDK in one each. The MDMK has also been given one Rajya Sabha seat.

Mr. Stalin expressed the DMK's inability to accommodate Manithaneya Makkal Katchi in the alliance, but sought its support, promising to include it in future alliances.

Panel to hold talks on constituencies

A committee led by DMK treasurer Duraimurugan would hold talks with leaders of the alliance from March 7 to finalise the constituencies, Mr. Stalin said, adding that he would definitely share the dais with Congress president Rahul Gandhi at an election meeting organised by that party on March 13. Tamil Nadu Congress Committee president K.S. Azhagiri has invited him for the meeting, he pointed out.

Mr. Stalin said that after the third round of satisfactory talks, MDMK general secretary Vaiko signed an agreement with him. The MDMK would work for the DMK in by-elections to 21 Assembly constituencies.