DMK blinks, Congress to contest 63 seats

Tuesday March 08, 2011 07:20:29 PM, IANS

New Delhi/Chennai: Tamil Nadu's ruling DMK Tuesday agreed to let the Congress party contest 63 seats in assembly elections, ending a bitter row between the two long-time allies.

Congress leader Ghulam Nabi Azad spoke effusively about the Congress-DMK alliance after announcing that his party would put up candidates in 63 of 234 constituencies -- a demand the DMK had earlier refused to concede.

"DMK and Congress leaders have finally decided that the Congress will be contesting 63 seats," Azad told reporters in New Delhi, with DMK's central ministers M.K. Azhagiri and Dayanidhi Maran flanking him.

"We will work together," added the central health minister, who is the Congress in-charge for Tamil Nadu. "We will be able to form the government again (in Tamil Nadu)."

Azhagiri confirmed what Azad said but did not go into details. He merely quipped: "This is a winning alliance."

The DMK had until Saturday agreed to give only 60 seats to the Congress.

The formal announcement came three days after the DMK dramatically took back support to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh's government after refusing to give the Congress 63 seats to contest.

But with Congress and DMK leaders getting into close-door discussions, the DMK blinked.

Informed sources in Chennai said the DMK and two of its allies, the PMK and the Indian Union Muslim League (IUML), would give up a seat each from their quota to meet the Congress demand.

                                           Home | Top of the Page

Top Stories

Intense fighting in Libya as Gaddafi holds on to power

Pitched battles were fought in Libya, with gunfire being reported in capital Tripoli Sunday as troops loyal to 68-year-old leader Muammar Gaddafi attempted to wrest back control of   »

Saudi women protesters arrested after demonstration ban

Thousands march in Bahrain, demand cabinet resignation

  Most Read

Bail plea of Malegaon blast accused: Court defers ruling till March 10

The Special Maharashtra Control of Organised Crime Act (MCOCA) court in Mumbai March 07 deferred its ruling on the bail   »

Govt given a month’s time to release Muslim youths arrested in blast case

On Women's Day, MPs pitch for women's reservation

Lawmakers - men and women, ruling and opposition - on International Women's Day Tuesday pitched strongly for one-third representation for women in parliament and state legislatures  »

Speaker wants introduction of women's quota bill

  News Pick

Aruna Shanbaug to live, says Supreme Court

The Supreme Court Monday rejected a petition for the mercy killing of Aruna Shanbaug, who has been in a "persistent vegitative state" for the past   »

Rebirth for Aruna, says joyous KEM hospital staff

Man accuses Rahul of keeping girl captive, slapped Rs 50 lakh fine

Coming down hard on people filing frivolous petitions, the Allahabad High Court slapped a penalty of Rs 50 lakh on a from  »

Court notice to Rahul Gandhi on 'missing' woman

Certificates by State Madrasa boards now equivalent to CBSE

In an attempt to bring the Madrasas to the mainstream, the government March 07 said that certificates issued by state Madrasa   »

ICSE like board for Indian Madrasas… Inamadar’s mantra for their reform

Iraqi shoe-thrower coming to Delhi to watch play on him

Iraqi journalist Muntazer-al-Zaydi, who threw his shoes at former US president George W. Bush at a press conference in Baghdad in 2008, will be in Delhi to watch actor Imran Zahid enact the protest in Mahesh Bhatt's play "The   »

Now chilli chocolates to help burn calories

It sounds just too good to be true - cakes and chocolate bars that help you burn off calories, courtesy a tasteless extract from chilli peppers. This "miracle" extract, known as dihydrocapsiate (DHC), speeds up the  »