DMK-Congress Alliance Reaffirmed After Late-Night Meeting in Chennai
In a significant political development, DMK chief and Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M K Stalin convened a late-night meeting with senior party leaders on Tuesday to address concerns over the alliance with the Congress party. This meeting followed assurances from AICC general secretary K C Venugopal that the DMK-Congress partnership remains intact, despite recent controversies.
Stalin Reaches Out to Congress Leadership
Sources within the DMK revealed that Stalin was reportedly upset over remarks made by certain Congress functionaries, notably Virudhunagar MP B Manickam Tagore, which had sparked tensions. To resolve the issue, Stalin personally contacted a key Congress leader in New Delhi via phone. After this conversation, K C Venugopal, during his visit to Chennai, publicly confirmed the stability of the Congress-DMK ties.
At the meeting, Stalin informed his senior colleagues about these developments and discussed the formation of a panel to handle seat-sharing negotiations with alliance partners. Prominent attendees included DMK MP Kanimozhi Karunanidhi, Municipal Administration Minister K N Nehru, and PWD Minister E V Velu.
Election Preparations in Full Swing
Setting the stage for the upcoming assembly elections, the DMK has initiated the process for candidate selection. The party announced that interested aspirants can submit application forms from February 20 to March 2. The submission fees are set at:
- Rs 25,000 for general constituencies
- Rs 15,000 for reserved constituencies
- Rs 15,000 for women aspirants across all constituencies
This move aims to streamline the selection process and ensure a diverse pool of candidates for the polls.
New Women's Campaign Launched
In another key announcement, the DMK unveiled a new campaign titled 'Vellum Tamil Pengal' (Victorious Tamil Women). Under this initiative, women's wing cadres will conduct a door-to-door public outreach from February 23 to March 8, coinciding with International Women's Day. The campaign is designed to highlight the achievements of the DMK government and engage voters at the grassroots level.
According to party officials, ten women cadres will be assigned to each polling booth to execute this outreach, emphasizing the party's focus on women's empowerment and voter mobilization ahead of the elections.
