AIADMK finalises NDA seat-sharing, allots 56 seats to allies
The AIADMK-led NDA in Tamil Nadu finalised seat-sharing for the April 23 Assembly polls, allotting 56 seats to BJP, PMK and AMMK. Edappadi K Palaniswami expressed confidence that the alliance would secure a decisive victory
Chennai: The AIADMK-led NDA in Tamil Nadu on Monday finalised the seat-sharing arrangement for key constituents of the alliance for the April 23 Assembly polls, with the Dravidian party allotting 27 seats to BJP, 18 to PMK and 11 to AMMK.
AIADMK general secretary Edappadi K Palaniswami, addressing a crowded press conference at the party headquarters Puratchi Thalaivar MGR Maaligai here, said talks continued with other allies as well and would be concluded by tonight.
The names of constituencies to be contested by alliance parties will be identified soon, he said, adding that 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 were continuing with some parties and that the information would be shared after their conclusion.
In the presence of leaders of alliance parties, including senior BJP leader Piyush Goyal, PMK 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 the “protracted, delayed” seat-sharing exercise involving a “war of words” between the DMK and Congress, he alleged that 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 and 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 the 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 habit for Chief Minister M K Stalin to spread defamatory content targeting NDA leaders if they visit Delhi, he alleged.
“Delhi visit is for sharing our opinions, to discuss Assembly poll-related matters. The CM fears whenever we go to Delhi,” he said. Targeting the DMK for blaming the AIADMK over alliance-related matters, he fired salvos at the ruling party for aligning with the Congress, which imposed the Emergency (1975-77) and also invoked MISA against detainees during that period.
PMK leader Anbumani said he had gone to Delhi a few days ago to visit the Rajya Sabha for signing purposes and that he did not meet Amit Shah.
