TN: Heavyweights face off in 105 seats

The two biggest Dravidian parties of Tamil Nadu will go face to face in 105 constituencies in the May 8 Assembly polls.

Apart from the direct battle with the All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam, the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam will have to face Vaiko's Marumalarchi Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam, a former ally, in 17 seats.

In all, the MDMK will contest from 35 constituencies.

The Congress and the AIADMK will cross swords in 35 seats, while the Pattali Makkal Katchi will fight the AIADMK in 26 seats.

The Communist Party of India-Marxist will take on the AIADMK in six seats, MDMK in five, Dalit Panthers of India and a splinter group of INTUC in one seat each.

The Communist Party of India will fight the AIADMK in nine seats and MDMK in one.

Dalit Panthers of India, which is contesting nine seats in alliance with the AIADMK, will face the Congress in four seats, the DMK in three and the PMK and the CPI in one each.

The two Muslim parties -- Indian Union Muslim league in DMK front and Indian National league in AIADMK front -- are pitted against each other in two seats.

Following is the number of seats to be contested by the two fronts in the state:

AIADMK led Democratic People's Alliance

AIADMK                                         182

MDMK                                              35

DPI                                                    09

INTUC                                              02

INL                                                    02

IUML(TN)                                         01

JD(S)                                                  01

Moovendar Munnetra Kazhagam      01

AIFB Santhanam faction                   01

DMK-led Democratic Progressive Alliance

DMK                                  129

CONG                                 48

PMK                                    31

CPI-M                                 13

CPI                                      10

IUML                                  03.