No rift with DMK, seat sharing talks soon: Congress

Denying any rift in the Congress-Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam ties, Tamil Nadu Congress Committee chief K Selvaperunthagai on Friday said the two parties will begin the seat sharing negotiations in a week. 

Selvaperunthagai exuded confidence that his party would get the expected number of seats during the talks with the DMK.

Meanwhile, DMK deputy general secretary Kanimozhi, who met Congress leader Rahul Gandhi earlier this week in Delhi told reporters on Friday in Thoothukudi that the initial, informal talks between the two parties have been 'smooth'.

Party president and Chief Minister M K Stalin would make an announcement on seats to be shared following conclusion of talks, she said.

DMK chief to make the announcement 

"We are not exerting pressure on our ally. We will ask and get what we want and the DMK will give (us)," Selvaperunthagai told reporters in Tiruvallur, about 45 km from Chennai.

On Kanimozhi's meeting with Congress leader Rahul Gandhi in the national capital, recently, the TNCC chief said, "We are holding talks to commence negotiations on seat sharing; seat sharing parleys will begin in about a week."

He took a dig at All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam general secretary Edappadi K Palaniswami's for allegedly meeting Union Home Minister Amit Shah with his face 'masked' and said, 'unlike that meeting, Kanimozhi's meeting with our leader was straightforward and dignified'.

The Congress was allotted 25 seats in the 2021 assembly election by the DMK but won in 18 segments.

Kanimozhi said, "Our party president will make an announcement once the discussions conclude," without going into the details about her meeting with Rahul Gandhi.

Early in December last year, a five-member All India Congress Committee delegation including Tamil Nadu in-charge Girish Chodankar and Selvaperunthagai, met Stalin in Chennai at Anna Arivalayam, DMK headquarters, and kick-started the process to discuss seat-sharing.