Election fever kicksoff in Tamil Nadu; Congress in a do or die battle

Tamil Nadu Congress president KS Alagiri along with party incharge of the state, Dinesh Gundurao met DMK president MK Stalin in Chennai Wednesday. Rao’s meeting with Stalin comes two days after Gandhi held a video-conference with leaders from Tamil Nadu Congress to discuss the 2021 assembly elections.

Chennai: Ahead of TN assembly polls, UPA partners Indian National Congress (INC) and Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) hold talks here on Wednesday.

Tamil Nadu State Congress Chief KS Azagiri, TNCC in-charge Dinesh Gundurao, along with senior party leaders met DMK Chief MK Stalin.

Sources in the party said the leaders met to discuss seat-sharing pact. But the party denies such talks as rumours.

Speaking to presspersons after the meeting Azhagiri said that, "Assembly election seat-sharing pact was not in today's agenda. We came here to invite DMK leaders to participate in Rahul Gandhi's poll campaign in Tamil Nadu. The dates of the visit are yet to be finalised. Also, talked about the allies election campaign tour in the state. The party in the process of identifying potential constituencies".

Former Congress Chief Rahul Gandhi on Tuesday held discussion with the state leaders through video conference regarding the state assembly elections.

TNCC Chief Azhagiri earlier said we will not pressurize DMK for seats but at the same time will contest in a respectable number of seats. The two secular parties have stayed in the alliance for the last 15 years.

The grand old party, once the ruling party in the state, is on a losing streak. While the Congress contested in 63 seats in 2011 assembly polls, it was reduced to 41 seats and it won 8 seats out of it with a strike rate of 19.51.

After 2019 Lok Sabha polls, the party keeps on losing its seat share in the state polls, with the recent Bihar polls being the worst.

Many Political observers look at the party as debt rather than an asset. At the time when a leadership crisis is looming in the party and the BJP is trying hard to make inroads into the state, it will be a crucial battle for the party.