MDMK drops resolution for more seats in 2026 election
Chennai: A week after MDMK adopted a resolution at its general council to seek additional seats from DMK in the 2026 assembly election, the party's working committee which met here on Sunday dropped the resolution.
The working committee, which met in the presence of general secretary Vaiko and headquarters secretary Durai Vaiko, instead reaffirmed its commitment to remain in the DMK led alliance to keep 'fascist forces' at bay.
The shift in MDMK's electoral approach comes in the wake of a few party functionaries including K Muthurathinam, MDMK's candidate in Palladam assembly segment in 2021 poll, joining DMK.
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Addressing reporters after the working committee meeting, Vaiko defended the exclusion of the resolution saying that MDMK did not make any formal demand for more seats from DMK.
"We never asked for double-digit seats from the DMK,'' he said.
When asked whether the issue of seat-sharing was discussed at the working committee meeting, Vaiko said it was not brought up.
He said Durai Vaiko's speech at the general council was misinterpreted as a demand for more seats. Durai Vaiko also sought to clarify his earlier statement made in Erode.
"It was my personal opinion, not the party's official position.
I merely said that if we contest in 12 seats, winning eight would qualify us for recognition. The final decision on seat-sharing will always lie with the party high command," he said.
In the 2021 Assembly elections, MDMK contested six seats as part of the DMK alliance, all under the Rising Sun symbol of the DMK.
The party won four out of six seats, but those MLAs were counted as DMK members in the assembly, as MDMK is not a recognized party by the Election Commission.
Sources in MDMK said that dropping the resolution for more seats was a tactical retreat as the party wanted to tread cautiously.
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