Chennai,April 4(BPNS)

The grand old party which is relegated to a junior partner in the DMK front is expected to get a minimum of 15 seats and a maximum of 18 seats in the Tamil Nadu assembly elections to be held on April 6.

The Congress is contesting in 25 seats in the 234 seats of Tamil Nadu assembly elections.

While there were initial hiccups in the Congress, DMK alliance with  the former even wanting to go it alone, the chemistry has improved much during the run up to the elections. The DMK president MK Stalin who has turned out into the star campaigner of the DMK front, has ensured that he  travels to all the constituencies where the Congress candidates are contesting.

However in seats like Ponneri and Arthangi there were revolt in the DMK camp for allocating the party strongholds to the Congress, but Stalin directly intervened and settled the matter for the party and all the revolting party leaders were asked to fall in line.

The party is expected to do well in Karaikudi, Kallikurichi,Virudachalam and Thiruvadanai and is expecting to capitlaise on the votes being spolit by the  AMMK –DMDK alliance.

The Congress is in a sticky wickets in four to five seats in Western Tamil Nadu with the party leader Mayuara Jayakumar fitted against super star turned politician Kamal Haasan of the MNM and Vanathi Srinivasan, the powerful national president of the women’s wing of the BJP.

The Congress candidates for Omalur and Erode are also trailing behind the AIADMK, BJP candidates and this is a cause of worry to the party.

M Senthilnathan, senior leader of the Congress party in Erode while speaking to IANS said, “The Congress as a whole will do well in the state but in certain seats like Erode, Omalur and Coimbatore party is facing a tough battle and we cant say anything in these seats.”

The party leadership is however expecting a total of 18 seats and is striving hard to reach that figure which will give a semblance of respect to the party in Tamil Nadu politics.