Kanimozhi Karunanidhi.
Credit: DH Photo
Chennai: Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) MP Kanimozhi Karunanidhi on Wednesday chaired the meeting of the party's Election Manifesto Committee at party HQ Arivalayam in Chennai.
She said alliance talks are ongoing with the Congress party, adding that decisions on the number of constituencies will be made by the negotiation committee, and any new party joining the alliance will be announced by the Chief Minister.
Speaking to the reporters, Kanimozhi said, "Alliance talks are currently underway with the Congress party. No discussions have taken place regarding the number of constituencies. The decision on the number of constituencies will be made by the negotiation committee. If any new party joins the alliance, the Chief Minister will make the announcement."
The developments come as Tamil Nadu is scheduled to hold elections in the first half of this year, although the Election Commission of India (ECI) has not yet announced the official election schedule. Meanwhile, in the 234-member Tamil Nadu Assembly, the DMK won 133 seats in the 2021 Assembly polls. Congress won 18, PMK won 5, VCK won 4, and others won 8.
Further, Kanimozhi called the suspension of eight opposition MPs from the Lok Sabha "unacceptable," criticising the move during the ongoing Budget Session.
"The suspension of Members of Parliament in Parliament is unacceptable," she said.
A day earlier, eight opposition members were suspended from the Lok Sabha for the remainder of the budget session for violating rules and "throwing papers on the chair" following uproar in the House over Congress leader Rahul Gandhi's insistence on mentioning a specific reference to the 2020 standoff with China in eastern Ladakh.
The suspended MPs include Congress members Hibi Eden, Amarinder Singh Raja Warring, Manickam Tagore, Gurjeet Singh Aujla, Prashant Yadaorao Padole, Chamala Kiran Kumar Reddy, and Dean Kuriakose, as well as CPI(M) MP S Venkatesan