Finally, after unfolding a high-level drama over finding an alliance shelter for the upcoming polls in Tamil Nadu, Vijayakanth-led DMDK has inked a deal with Dhinakaran's AMMK to form a coalition for the assembly polls. The development has come days after DMDK announced its exit from the ADMK alliance and amid the state of perplexion over where the Vijayankanth's camp is moving towards - on contesting independently or forming an alliance. 

Though DMDK maintained that it will be contesting independently, the party has been negotiating with Kamal's Makkal Needhi Maiam and Dhinakaran's AMMK at the same time. DMDK has been causing a confused political state by failing to stand firm on its decision when the state is three weeks ahead of the crucial assembly polls. While DMDK was brave enough to leave the ADMK alliance by citing improper seat-sharing, it wasn't brave enough to go independently as it has shown signs to form a new coalition. 

Vijayakanth's party had held talks behind the cameras while the speculations like the party has decided to contest independently after the talks were broken with AMMK had come before and the reports say that DMDK had gone to a level where the own party members weren't aware of the party's drive and amid such developments, DMDK had finally sealed a pact with AMMK to contest in the polls. The deal was signed on Sunday and the alliance has been named as 'People's Front'. It has become the fourth front in the Tamil Nadu polls after the ADMK-led alliance, DMK-led alliance, and Kamal Haasan- Sarathkumar- IJK alliance. 

As per the deal, the AMMK had agreed to allot 60 seats for DMDK, nearly three times high than what DMDK had demanded from ADMK. The coalition has come when both AMMK and DMDK were left out for a lone battle as VK Sasikala had exited from politics while Dhinakaran expected to support him and DMDK had come out of the ADMK alliance while it had expected more seats. The state of lone battle had driven the parties to come together and with the deal, the alliance has been formed with AMMK, DMDK, SDPI, Owaisi's AIMIM, and two smaller parties. 

As Dhinakaran has been camped in Kovilpatti, from where he will be contesting in the assembly polls, the deal was signed by AMMK Deputy General Secretary G Senthamizhan and DMDK's Presidium Chairman V Elangovan on Sunday evening at DMDK Headquarters at Koyambedu. According to reports, Dhinakaran had already released a list of 195 candidates of AMMK over three phases and as the AMMK has signed a deal with DMDK by allotting 60 seats to the latter, Dhinakaran has decided to withdraw his candidates from the seats allotted to the DMDK, which may stir intra-party dispute in AMMK. 

Dhinakaran released a statement after making the deal in which he appealed to his partymen to work together as a team with alliance partners in all the 234 seats. By calling the alliance as People's Front, he said, "The alliance has been formed in the larger interests of the welfare of the people of Tamil Nadu. The candidates, who have been named for seats that are now allotted to DMDK, have to withdraw from the race and they should not feel that they are ignored by the party and the party will recognize their efforts in the long term". 

After making the deal, the DMDK has released its list of candidates who will be contesting in the assembly polls. According to the list, DMDK's Treasurer Premalatha Vijayakanth will be contesting from Virudhachalam, Cuddalore and on the other side, Vijayakanth, LK Sudhish, Vijayakanth's son Vijaya Prabhakaran will not be contesting in the polls. According to a news agency, AMMK leaders say that the alliance is natural as both AMMK and DMDK have no direct disputes and the parties haven't attacked each other anytime and they further say that Premalatha will enhance the AMMK's base in Northern Tamil Nadu apart from strengthening DMDK's candidates. 

The reports say that the DMDK leadership has planned to carry out an extensive tour across the state to campaign for the alliance that has taken birth three weeks ahead of the party. AMMK has accommodated seven parties in its alliance and while AMMK will contest in 161 seats, DMDK will be contesting in 60 seats, Social Democratic Party of India in six seats, Owaisi's AIMIM in three seats, and Gokula Makkal Katchi, Marudhu Senai Sangam, Viduthalai Tamil Puligal Katchi, and Makkal Arasu Katchi in one seat each. 

In the 2016 assembly polls, DMDK had led People Welfare Front which eventually faced a drastic defeat in the polls as it hasn't secured a single seat to enter the assembly. DMDK had ended up securing a 2.41% vote share, which is the least since the party's inception, and for the 2021 polls, the party had demanded 25 seats initially from ADMK, but the state ruling party had refused to offer 25 seats following which it has now joined AMMK and got 60 seats. This is the first assembly poll for Dhinakaran's AMMK and it had contested in the 2019 Lok Sabha polls. However, it has faced a huge debacle as the DMK-led alliance had won 38 seats out of 39 Lok Sabha constituencies.