On Thursday noon, VCK leader Thol Thirumavalavan visited Anna Arivalayam and signed the deal with DMK president MK Stalin, who bettered the initial offer by two seats. Thirumavalavan, who did not hide his dissatisfaction, told the reporters that they settled for six seats to keep the Sanadhana Dharma abiding BJP at bay. Thiruma had also told his cadre at the party office that they must bear with dissatisfaction, if the situation demands. 

Meanwhile, the Congress lowered its demand to less than 30 seats. Even as some district Congress presidents suggested alternate alliance options in the consultation chaired by AICC in-charge Dinesh Gundu Rao at Sathyamurthy Bhavan on Thursday morning party sources privy to the discussions revealed that the national party was ready to settle for 28 seats. A highly placed DMK source disclosed that they would clinch the deal with Congress at 24 seats plus a Rajya Sabha seat and three Mayor seats. “The deal should be sealed in all probability on Friday,” the DMK source told DT Next.