Jayalalithaa's allies may quit and form 3rd front

Jolted by the All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam's 'unilateral' announcement of candidates for 160 seats even before the  identification of constituencies to its allies for the April 13 Tamil Nadu polls, the Desiya Murpokku Dravida Kazhagam and Left party leaders went into a huddle on Thursday to decide about their future electoral strategy.

DMDK leader and actor Vijayakant, who is understood to have expressed his displeasure over the AIADMK's announcement, had been consulting his party cadre which had gathered in the party headquarters in Chennai.

The leaders of the Left parties, G Ramakrishnan (Communist Party of India-Marxist) D Pandian (CPI), and Kathiravan of All India Forward Bloc along with Puthiya Tamizhagam leader Dr K Krishnasamy and All India Moovendar Munnetra Kazhagam leader Dr N Sethuraman, were holding talks among themselves and planned to meet Vijayakant jointly to evolve a common strategy.

These parties were said to be favouring a Third Front if the AIADMK did not relent and withdraw its candidates from seats these parties intended to contest from.

In its list of 160 constituencies, the AIADMK had taken six of sitting CPI-M legislators' seats, including Dindigul represented by the party's floor Leader in the assembly, K Balabarathy, Mannargudi represented by CPI's floor leader V Sivapunniyam, besides three other seats including Thiruthuraipoondi, considered as a CPI bastion.

The Marumlarchi DMK headquarters in Chennai wore a deserted look as the AIADMK had virtually shut the door on it with a meagre offer of eight seats against a minimum of 21 demanded by the Vaiko-led party.

The leaders of these parties were sore with the manner in which their parties were treated by AIADMK leader J Jayalalithaa.

The AIADMK leadership is tight-lipped over the sudden development.

The CPI-M had expressed "shock" on Wednesday over Jayalalithaa announcing her party candidates, naming aspirants for constituencies that were part of its wishlist. The CPI had also expressed displeasure.