By TCN News,
Chennai: The Indian Union Muslim League will contest three seats in the Tamil Nadu Assembly election. The League, which is an ally of the DMK in the state, will contest on the DMK symbol, as per an agreement reached between the two parties.
The Muslim League had earlier reportedly sought eight seats, but the DMK was willing to give only two. The decision to allow three seats was taken in the meeting of the state leaders of both parties including DMK president and state Chief Minister M Karunanidhi and the League state president and former MP KM Khader Mohideen. The meeting was held last Saturday in Chennai. The League leader later reportedly told media persons that the party had sought eight seats, ie 3.5% of the Assembly seats, in accordance with the state government policy of providing 3.5% for Muslims in education and employment within the overall quota for the backward classes. The party had even identified a list of Muslim-dominated constituencies and forwarded it to the DMK leadership, according to reports.
The Muslim League had contested and won two seats in the last Assembly elections in 2006 on the DMK symbol of the ‘rising sun’. Besides the two MLAs, the party has an MP also from the state.