Chennai:
After week-long negotiations with the DMK, the Congress has finally released the list of 63 constituencies it will fight in the upcoming Assembly polls in Tamil Nadu.
The party has also hinted that the DMK has okayed power-sharing if it gets a second term. "I can tell one thing...the Tamil Nadu Congress' aspirations on power-sharing will be met if the DMK gets a second term," said the Congress' K V Thangkabalu, who heads the party's unit in Tamil Nadu.
The Congress has retained most of the seats it contested last time. Its southern ally has given the party the constituencies it identified as winnable. But reportedly worried that the 2G spectrum scam could dent its urban vote bank, the DMK has also dumped on the Congress five seats from its bastion Chennai. Sources say it will certainly be tough for the Congress to reclaim what used to be its key ally's stronghold.
The DMK and the Congress salvaged their political marriage in Tamil Nadu last week after the DMK announced it would pull out of the union government. That was prompted by negotiations over how many seats the Congress would get from the DMK for the elections scheduled for April 13. The DMK finally surrendered to the Congress' demand for 63 seats.
But all along, the DMK denied the real stress test for the party's relationship with the Congress has been the massive investigation into the 2G spectrum scam, which threatens high-profile casualties among the DMK. A Raja, a prized DMK Dalit leader, has been arrested for gifting spectrum to telecom companies at throwaway prices in 2008 when he was Telecom Minister. Since then, the CBI has raided several people who are close associates of the DMK's First Family. On Friday, the DMK chief's daughter, Kanimozhi, and her stepmother, Dayalu Ammal, were interrogated on the grounds that a Rs 214-crore kickback from a company favoured by Raja flowed into a TV channel in Chennai owned largely by her stepmother and her.
Following is the list of constituencies released by the Congress:
1. Tirutani
2. Poonamallee
3. Avadi
4. T V K Naagar
5. Royapuram
6. Anna Nagar
7. T Nagar
8. Mylapore
9. Alandur
10. Tirupathur
11. Maduranagam
12. Solinggar
13. Vellore
14. Ambur
15. Krishnagiri
16. Hosur
17. Sengam
18. Kalasapakkam
19. Cheyyar
20. Rishivanddiyam
21. Aathur
22. Salem North
23. Tiruchengodu
24. Erode west
25. Modakuracchi
26. Kangeyam
27. Ooty
28. Avinashi
29. Tirupur south
30. Thondamuthur
31. Singanallur
32. Valparai
33. Nilakootai
34. Vedasenthur
35. Karur
36. Manaparai
37. Musuri
38. Ariyalur
39. Virudhachalam
40. Mayilaadurai
41. Tirururaipoondi
42. Papanasam
43. Pattukootai
44. Perauraani
45. Thirumaaiyam
46. Arantangi
47. Karaikudi
48. Sivaganga
49. Madurai north
50. Madurai south
51. Tiruparamkundram
52. Virudhanagar
53. Paramakudi
54. Ramanathapuram
55. Vilathhikulm
56. Thiruvai kundam
57. Vasudeevanallurr
58. Kadayaallur
59. Nanguneri
60. Radhapurram
61. Colechal
62. Vilavangodu
63.K illiyur
(With PTI Inputs)
The party has also hinted that the DMK has okayed power-sharing if it gets a second term. "I can tell one thing...the Tamil Nadu Congress' aspirations on power-sharing will be met if the DMK gets a second term," said the Congress' K V Thangkabalu, who heads the party's unit in Tamil Nadu.
The Congress has retained most of the seats it contested last time. Its southern ally has given the party the constituencies it identified as winnable. But reportedly worried that the 2G spectrum scam could dent its urban vote bank, the DMK has also dumped on the Congress five seats from its bastion Chennai. Sources say it will certainly be tough for the Congress to reclaim what used to be its key ally's stronghold.
The DMK and the Congress salvaged their political marriage in Tamil Nadu last week after the DMK announced it would pull out of the union government. That was prompted by negotiations over how many seats the Congress would get from the DMK for the elections scheduled for April 13. The DMK finally surrendered to the Congress' demand for 63 seats.
But all along, the DMK denied the real stress test for the party's relationship with the Congress has been the massive investigation into the 2G spectrum scam, which threatens high-profile casualties among the DMK. A Raja, a prized DMK Dalit leader, has been arrested for gifting spectrum to telecom companies at throwaway prices in 2008 when he was Telecom Minister. Since then, the CBI has raided several people who are close associates of the DMK's First Family. On Friday, the DMK chief's daughter, Kanimozhi, and her stepmother, Dayalu Ammal, were interrogated on the grounds that a Rs 214-crore kickback from a company favoured by Raja flowed into a TV channel in Chennai owned largely by her stepmother and her.
Following is the list of constituencies released by the Congress:
1. Tirutani
2. Poonamallee
3. Avadi
4. T V K Naagar
5. Royapuram
6. Anna Nagar
7. T Nagar
8. Mylapore
9. Alandur
10. Tirupathur
11. Maduranagam
12. Solinggar
13. Vellore
14. Ambur
15. Krishnagiri
16. Hosur
17. Sengam
18. Kalasapakkam
19. Cheyyar
20. Rishivanddiyam
21. Aathur
22. Salem North
23. Tiruchengodu
24. Erode west
25. Modakuracchi
26. Kangeyam
27. Ooty
28. Avinashi
29. Tirupur south
30. Thondamuthur
31. Singanallur
32. Valparai
33. Nilakootai
34. Vedasenthur
35. Karur
36. Manaparai
37. Musuri
38. Ariyalur
39. Virudhachalam
40. Mayilaadurai
41. Tirururaipoondi
42. Papanasam
43. Pattukootai
44. Perauraani
45. Thirumaaiyam
46. Arantangi
47. Karaikudi
48. Sivaganga
49. Madurai north
50. Madurai south
51. Tiruparamkundram
52. Virudhanagar
53. Paramakudi
54. Ramanathapuram
55. Vilathhikulm
56. Thiruvai kundam
57. Vasudeevanallurr
58. Kadayaallur
59. Nanguneri
60. Radhapurram
61. Colechal
62. Vilavangodu
63.K illiyur
(With PTI Inputs)
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