Seat-sharing: Vaiko keeps mum

(April 02, Chennai, Sri Lanka Guardian) The stalemate on seat-sharing between the AIADMK and the MDMK seem far from being over. This was evident this morning, as MDMK general secretary Vaiko today chose to mainatain a stoic silence over the issue when queried by mediapersons.

Vaiko today came to the Madras High Court to argue on behalf of party leader Nanjil Sampath on a Habeas Corpus petition. Sampath is detained under National Security Act for his pro-LTTE speeche.

Emerging out of the court after the hearing, Vaiko was mobbed by anxious media persons who queried him on seat-sharing talks in the AIADMK camp.However, Vaiko chose to remain quiet and left the place in a hurry, indicating that all is not comfortable within the alliance.

Sources say that the AIADMK leadership, which initially offered three seats to the MDMK, has scaled up the number of seats on offer to four - Pollachi, Virudhunagar, Kancheepuram (reserved) and Central Chennai.

However, the MDMK, which has been demanding five seats, is not keen on contesting Central Chennai and instead has given a wishlist of Virudhunagar, Kancheepuram (Res), Thanjavur, Arani and Erode.

While seat-sharing pacts were sealed with the PMK and the CPI, Jayalalithaa is yet to finalise the deal with the MDMK and CPM. The PMK will contest from seven constituencies - Sriperumbudur, Arakkonam, Tiruvannamalai, Kallakurichi, Chidambaram, Dharmapuri and Puducherry, the CPI has been given three seats, North Chennai, Tenkasi and Nagapattinam.

-Sri Lanka Guardian