“INDIA bloc is doing very well in Tamil Nadu”: DMK MP Dayanidhi Maran

Chennai (Tamil Nadu) [India], March 30 (ANI): Dayanidhi Maran, who is contesting from Central Chennai as a DMK candidate for the Lok Sabha elections, said on Saturday that the INDIA alliance is doing very well in Tamil Nadu.

INDIA bloc is a coalition of over 20 opposition parties formed last year to take on the Bharatiya Janata Party-led National Democratic Alliance in the general elections, dates for which were announced earlier in the month.

However, the exit of Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, who was at the forefront of the alliance, dealt a blow to the bloc, which, as of now, is struggling to finalise seat-sharing agreement for the Lok Sabha elections.

Speaking with ANI, the DMK MP said, “The India Alliance in Tamil Nadu is doing very well. We will receive all 40 seats under the leadership of our leader, MK Stalin and also Udhayanidhi Stalin. Both are spearheading the campaign and wherever they are going, people are welcoming them…”

Earlier in the day, he launched his election campaign from Choolai-Alathur Subramaniam Street, with people turning up in large numbers.

He was accompanied by Tamil Nadu Minister PK Sekar Babu and Chennai Mayor R Priya.

The voting for all 39 seats in Tamil Nadu will be held in the first phase on April 19.

During the 2019 general elections, the DMK-led Secular Progressive Alliance, which comprised Congress, VCK, MDMK, CPI, CPI(M), IUML, MMK, KMDK, TVK, and AIFB, registered a landslide victory by winning 38 of the 39 seats.

In 2019, DMK won 23 Lok Sabha seats with a 33.2 per cent vote share, Congress bagged 8 seats with a 12.9 per cent vote and CPI won two seats in Tamil Nadu.

The election for 543 Lok Sabha seats in the country will be held in seven phases starting April 19. Nearly 97 crore voters are eligible to cast votes in the general election.

The counting of votes will take place on June 4.