People's Welfare Front leaders met Desiya Murpokku Dravida Kazhagam chief Vijayakanth at his home on Wednesday to finalise their alliance for the Tamil Nadu Assembly elections, which will be held on May 16. After the meeting, the parties announced Vijayakanth as their chief ministerial candidate for the upcoming polls. The DMDK will contest 124 seats and the PWF will fight 110 seats in the elections, reported ANI. The DMDK had earlier announced they would stand alone in the polls, but reportedly had alliance talks with both the PWF and Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam after that.
The PWF consists of four political parties – Vaiko's Marumalarchi Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam, Communist Party of India, Communist Party of India (Marxist), and the Viduthalai Chiruthaigal Katchi. It has been in seat sharing talks with Vijayakanth since last week.
The DMDK had allied with J Jayalalithaa's All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam for the 2011 polls, but in February, eight DMDK legislators quit the party to join the AIADMK, toppling Vijayakanth from his Leader of Opposition post. According to The Hindu, four more DMDK legislators had approached AIADMK leaders recently to see if they could join the ruling party.
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