Tamil Nadu polls: AIADMK to contest 178 seats, BJP gets 27 in NDA

The National Democratic Alliance (NDA) on Monday firmed up a seat-sharing arrangement for the upcoming assembly polls in Tamil Nadu. The BJP will contest on 27 seats out of 234, while All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK) will contest on 178 seats. The Pattali Makkal Katchi (PMK) will battle it out on 18 seats, and the Amma Makkal Munnetra Kazhagam (AMMK) on 11 seats.

The State will go to the polls in a single phase on April 23, with counting scheduled for May 4.

The current tenure of the 234-member State Assembly ends on May 10.

The seat-sharing announcement was made by AIADMK general secretary Edappadi K Palaniswami during a joint press conference at the party’s headquarters.

The event was attended by Union Minister Piyush Goyal, BJP Tamil Nadu president Nainar Nagendran, PMK president Anbumani Ramadoss, and AMMK general secretary TTV Dhinakaran.

Reacting to the decision of the BJP contesting on 27 seats in the Tamil Nadu elections, the BJP’s Tamil Nadu election in-charge Goyal said, “We are all one family, and we will fight the elections to win them...we are very satisfied with the 27 seats, we will sweep the elections as the people of the State are fed up with CM Stalin and DCM Udhayanidhi Stalin...they have hurt the culture of the State...NDA will form the Government in the State...”

Separately, AC Shanmugam, founder of the Puthiya Needhi Katchi, stated that he has informed Piyush Goyal of his party’s willingness to contest nine constituencies under the BJP’s lotus symbol. He also referenced his past electoral performances in Vellore, noting that he secured 3.25 lakh votes in 2014 under the BJP symbol and 4.70 lakh votes when contesting with AIADMK support.

“In 2014, along with PM Modi, the then candidate, we contested under the lotus symbol, and I got 3.25 lakh votes in Vellore. I contested from Vellore under AIADMK and got 4.70 lakh votes... I already informed Piyush Goyal that we are ready to contest under the lotus symbol and gave a list of 9 constituencies, asking for 4-3,” said Shanmugam.

AIADMK general secretary Palaniswami also said the names of constituencies to be contested by alliance parties will be identified soon, adding the seat-sharing talks were cordial.

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 “protracted, delayed” seat-sharing exercise involving “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,’ 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 MK Stalin to spread defamatory content targeting the NDA leaders if they visit Delhi, he alleged.

“Delhi visit is for sharing our opinions, to discuss Assembly polls-related matters, 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.

PMK leader Anbumani said he went to Delhi days ago to visit the Rajya Sabha for signing purposes and that he did not meet Amit Shah.