Chennai: The AIADMK-led NDA in Tamil Nadu on Monday finalised seat-sharing arrangement for key constituents of the alliance for the April 23 Assembly polls, with the Dravidian party allotting 27 seats for BJP, 18 for PMK and 11 for AMMK.
AIADMK general secretary Edappadi K Palaniswami, addressing a crowded press conference at party headquarters Puratchi Thalaivar MGR Maaligai, here, said talks continued with other allies as well and it will be concluded by tonight.
The names of constituencies to be contested by alliance parties will be identified soon, he said, adding the seat-sharing talks were cordial.
Elections to 234 Assembly seats in Tamil Nadu will be held on April 23. NDA’s other constituents include former union minister GK Vasan-led Tamil Maanila Congress (Moopanar) and IJK.
Asked about the number of seats to be contested by AIADMK, Palaniswami said talks continued with some parties and following its conclusion the information would be shared.
In the presence of leaders of alliance parties, including senior BJP leader Piyush Goyal, PMK top leader Anbumani Ramadoss and AMMK chief TTV Dhinakaran, Palaniswami described the alliance it leads as one marked by “bonding,” and called it a “victorious” combine.
He expressed confidence that the alliance would go on to win at least 210 Assembly constituencies out of the total 234.
“The alliance will win and AIADMK will form the government,” he asserted.
Ridiculing a “protracted, delayed” seat-sharing exercise involving a “war of words” between the DMK and Congress, he alleged the CPI(M), which got six seats in 2021 was now struggling to get five Assembly seats.
“Piyush Goyal, Nainar Nagenthran, L Murugan, Anbumani Ramadoss, TTV Dhinakaran came in the morning, it (seat-sharing) was decided in the afternoon and the decision is being announced in the evening; see how quickly it has happened. The AIADMK’s goal is to dislodge the DMK from the seat of power. The media did not criticise the deadlock in seat-sharing talks in the DMK front,” he said.
Hitting back at DMK’s criticism aimed at him for his Delhi visit to meet Union Home Minister Amit Shah in connection with seat sharing, he wondered why DMK MP Kanimozhi met Congress leader Rahul Gandhi in the national capital recently. It has become a wont for Chief Minister M K Stalin to spread defamatory content targeting the NDA leaders if they visited Delhi, he alleged.
“Delhi visit is for sharing our opinions, to discuss Assembly polls related matters, the CM fears whenever we go to Delhi.”
Targeting the DMK for blaming the AIADMK over alliance-related matters, he fired salvos at the ruling party for aligning with the Congress party which imposed the infamous Emergency (1975-77) and also invoked the MISA against detainees during that period.