Chennai, March 23 The AIADMK-led NDA in Tamil Nadu finalized seat-sharing arrangements with key alliance constituents for the April 23 Assembly polls, with the Dravidian party allocating 27 seats to the 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, said talks continued with other allies and would be concluded by tonight.
He said the names of constituencies to be contested by alliance parties would soon be identified, adding that the seat-sharing talks were cordial.
Elections to the 234 Assembly seats in Tamil Nadu will be held on April 23. Other constituents of the NDA include Tamil Maanila Congress (Moopanar), led by former union minister G.K. Vasan, and IJK.
Asked about the number of seats to be contested by AIADMK, Palaniswami said talks continued with some parties and that information would be shared after their conclusion.
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 he leads as one marked by "bonding" and called it a "victorious" combine.
He expressed confidence that the alliance would win at least 210 Assembly constituencies out of the total 234.
"The alliance will win and AIADMK will form the government," he asserted.
He ridiculed the "protracted and delayed" seat-sharing exercise involving a "war of words" between the DMK and Congress, and alleged that the CPI(M), which had won 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; the decision was made in the afternoon, and the announcement will be made in the evening. See how quickly it happened. The AIADMK's goal is to dislodge the DMK from power. The media did not criticize the deadlock in seat-sharing talks within the DMK front," he said.
Responding to DMK's criticism aimed at him for his visit to Delhi to meet Union Home Minister Amit Shah in connection with seat sharing, he wondered why DMK MP Kanimozhi met Congress leader Rahul Gandhi in Delhi recently. He alleged that Chief Minister M.K. Stalin fears whenever we go to Delhi.
Targeting the DMK for blaming the AIADMK over alliance-related matters, he criticized the ruling party for aligning with the Congress party, which imposed the infamous Emergency (1975-77) and also invoked MISA against detainees during that period.
PMK leader Anbumani Ramadoss said he went to Delhi days ago to visit the Rajya Sabha for signing purposes and that he did not meet Amit Shah.
In the 2021 Assembly polls, AIADMK had allocated 20 seats to the BJP; it won 4 seats. PMK was then allocated 23 seats and it won 5 seats.
Goyal said his party was very happy about the allocation of seats and added that the negotiations were smooth, like in a family.
Dhinakaran, who had visited the AIADMK HQ here before his expulsion in 2017, returned to the party office after nearly 10 years, now as a leader of an alliance party. "I am very happy to feel the presence of my beloved leader Amma here," he said.
Nainar Nagenthran said: "We are happy with the numbers."
Anbumani Ramadoss said, "We are very confident of our victory. PMK has got 18 seats plus one RS seat; we are happy, our aim is to dislodge the anti-people DMK regime."
Leaders from other alliance parties, including IJK, were also present. However, TMC (M) leader G.K. Vasan was not present during the press conference at the AIADMK office.
