Actor Vijayakanth's party announces alliance with TTV Dhinakaran's AMMK

Chennai: The actor-turned-politician Vijayakanth's DMDK has finalised an election partnership with TTV Dhinakaran's Amma Makkal Munnetra Kazhagam (AMMK) for the April 6 Tamil Nadu polls, NDTV reported. The move comes days after the actor-politician exited the AIADMK-led alliance over a seat-sharing dispute. According to the alliance deal, Vijayakanth's party will contest 60 of the state's 234 seats.

AMMK, in a statement, said it will withdraw its candidates from the seats allotted to DMDK.

DMDK has released its first list of candidates. Vijayakanth's wife Premalatha will contest from Virudhachalam, whereas ex-MLA P Parthasarathy will contest from Virugambakkam.

The ruling AIADMK has allotted 23 seats to Anbumani Ramadoss' PMK. Its other partner, BJP, has been allotted 20 seats. The ruling party's seat-sharing talks with DMDK, however, fell apart last week.

Elaborating on why DMDK exited the alliance, party leader B Parthasarathy had said, "We sought 23 segments and a Rajya Sabha seat, but AIADMK would not give more than 15 seats".

Vijayakanth's party, launched in 2005, had received an impressive 8.38 per cent votes in 2006 assembly polls. It improved its vote share marginally in 2009 Lok Sabha polls. However, the party's best-ever performance came in 2011, when it emerged as the principal opposition after winning 29 assembly seats.

In 2016, DMDK's alliance with Vaiko's MDMK, CPI-M, CPI, Viduthalai Chiruthaigal Katchi and Tamil Maanila Congress, couldn't win a seat.

The opposition DMK has tied up with the Congress, Left and other parties.

Kamal Haasan's MNM, which is contesting state elections for the first time, had invited DMDK to form an alliance after it announced its exit from the AIADMK-led group.

With this, TTV Dhinakaran, who had stunned the AIADMK by winning the RK Nagar assembly constituency in 2017, has bagged two important allies ahead of the election. Last week, Asaduddin Owaisi's AIMIM announced a tie-up with AMMK. The AIMIM will contest three seats -- Vaniyambadi, Krishnagiri and Sankarapuram.

Counting for the Tamil Nadu assembly polls will take place on May 2.