The AIADMK’s Member of Parliament and former Law Minister, C.Ve. Shanmugam on Monday evening met the founder of Pattali Makkal Katchi (PMK) S. Ramadoss at the latter’s residence in Thailapuram near Tindivanam.
The meeting, which lasted nearly 45 minutes, was considered in political circles “a preliminary or an exploratory” event. Though there was no public statement from either of the parties, the meeting assumed importance in view of the coming Lok Sabha election. At its general council meeting on Thursday last, the PMK resolved to contest the poll in alliance with other parties and authorised Dr. Ramadoss to decide on the issue of alliance.
Since Tuesday morning, a picture of the meeting between Mr Shanmugam, who hails from Villupuram district, and Dr Ramadoss was doing rounds on social media. There were reports in sections of the media that the PMK had sought eight Lok Sabha seats.
The PMK, which was an ally of the AIADMK during the 2019 Lok Sabha election and 2021 Assembly poll, walked out of the alliance during the 2021 local bodies’ poll . It did not secure any seat in 2019 but won five in 2021. The party polled around 5.4% in 2019 and 3.8% two years later. In 2019, the PMK was allotted seven constituencies, apart from one Rajya Sabha seat.
