TN Assembly elections: New rainbow coalition as Vasan joins DMDK-PWF combine

Chennai: GK Vasan-led Tamil Maanila Congress (TMC) on Saturday joined the DMDK-PWF combine for the May 16 Assembly polls in Tamil Nadu, leading to the emergence of a new rainbow coalition under DMDK founder and its Chief Ministerial candidate Vijayakant.

Eventually, DMDK sacrificed 20 of the 124 seats allocated to it earlier, to be distributed among TMC and PWF members.

DMDK will now be in fray in 104 seats while Vaiko-led MDMK will contest 29 seats, according to the revised seat-sharing understanding.

Disclosing the seat-sharing pact, MDMK founder and PWF Coordinator Vaiko said TMC has been alloted 29 seats while CPI (M), CPI and VCK will fight from 25 segments each.

On March 23, People's Welfare Front (PWF) had clinched a poll pact with DMDK, announcing Vijayakant as the combine's Chief Ministerial candidate. 124 of the total 234 Assembly seats were then allotted to the actor-politician's party.

The visibly cheerful leaders promised that the new combine, if elected to power, will usher in transparency and end corruption.

Vasan, whose party had earlier made an unsuccessful bid to align with ruling AIADMK, said that people from all walks of life were yearning for a 'change' and that this coalition will do that by ensuring transparent governance, ending corruption and implementing prohibition.

"Captain Vijayakant (as he is addressed) will meet these aspirations of people," Vasan said.

Vaiko, who slammed both DMK and AIADMK over corruption, alleged that the two parties had left the state in a 'bad shape' due to graft.

"The coalition government under beloved brother Vijayakant will end corruption and close down (state-run) TASMAC liquor retail outlets," he said.

Vaiko also promised employment, creation of Lok Ayukta and farm loan waiver. Vijayakant also expressed confidence that the coalition would triumph at the hustings.

Earlier in the day, PWF leaders Vaiko, G Ramakrishnan (CPI-M), R Mutharasan (CPI) and VCK's Thol.Thirumavalavan held parleys with Vasan at his Alwarpet residence.

Later, all of them drove to the DMDK headquarters at Koyambedu where the poll pact was clinched following talks with Vijayakant.

A former Union Minister in the UPA cabinet, Vasan had revived his father G K Moopanar founded TMC in 2014 after he walked out of Congress.