VCK hopes to keep its ‘recognised party’ tag

With the DMK front expanding to include more parties, its longtime ally Viduthalai Chiruthaigal Katchi (VCK), which won four out of the six assembly seats it contested in 2021, is feeling the pressure to ensure it gets at least 10 seats this time to keep its “recognised party” status. Party leaders also feel a higher allotment of seats would justify its consistent support to the DMK front since 2017.

A senior VCK leader said while nobody flinched when the DMDK, a new entrant to the alliance, was allotted a Rajya Sabha seat, a similar demand from the VCK would result in an immediate pushback.

“The last five years we wanted to ensure the people accepted us. We raised the right issues in the Assembly. So, in this elections, we want to keep our status as an EC ‘recognised’ party. We are pushing for 10 seats. Let’s see,” said the senior figure in the party.

He said the DMK should recognise the VCK’s need to balance the “demands of the cadre”. When asked about the seat-sharing talks, another senior leader, said, “They haven’t yet called us. It looks like the DMK would offer us the same six Assembly seats on the pretext that they have to accommodate other parties and their demands. We have made our expectation clear. We hope our expectations will be accepted.”