AIADMK to contest lion’s share of 170 seats in TN assembly polls, earmarks 23 for BJP

With the BJP initiating seat-sharing talks with the AIADMK, the Dravidian major, heading the NDA in Tamil Nadu, has made it clear to its national ally that it wants to contest a lion’s share of 170 of the total 234 seats in the 2026 assembly election, which is a few months away.

According to sources, at a meeting here with the AIADMK delegation led by party general secretary Edappadi K Palaniswami (EPS), visiting Union Minister Piyush Goyal, who is also the saffron party’s election in-charge for the state, was presented with a list earmarking the quantum of seats for the NDA constituents. This is the first meeting on seat-sharing in the NDA initiated by the BJP. Goyal was accompanied by Union Minister Arjun Ram Meghwal besides leaders from the state unit.

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The AIADMK, which had commenced the distribution of applications for ticket aspirants, has arrogated to itself 170 seats, leaving 23 each for the BJP and the PMK, a potential partner, and 18 for others, the sources added. This might not be palatable for the BJP, which had been demaning 40 to 60 seats. Further, EPS had reportedly informed Goyal that it was up to the BJP to accommodate rebel AIADMK leader and former Deputy CM, O Panneerselvam (OPS) and Amma Makkal Munnetra Kazhagam (AMMK) leader TTV Dhinakaran. Both were part of the NDA in the 2024 Lok Sabah elections but have deserted the alliance after the AIADMK’s re-entry into the saffron alliance as their hopes of the BJP facilitating their home coming into the AIADMK proved futile.

After the meeting with EPS and the AIADMK team, Goyal told the media that the NDA would face the assembly elections under the leadership of EPS and defeat the DMK-led alliance. “Removing the corrupt DMK from power is the task before us. We will face the elections with confidence under the leadership of AEAPS and the guidance of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The NDA will have a resounding victory,” he asserted.

Expressing happiness and satisfaction about his talks with the AIADMK leadership, he said, “We discussed the coordination for the poll campaign with development, growth and employment being the focus.”

Indicating that the BJP had given up its hopes of roping in the Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK) of actor Vijay into the NDA fold, Goyal, addressing the core-committee meeting of the state BJP, said, “Vijay is a spoiler.” This comes a day after EPS inviting parties opposed to the DMK to join the AIADMK-led combine to defeat the ruling party, which was seen as yet another attempt at wooing the TVK even as Vijay continued to disregard the AIADMK as party in the ring and blaming it for aligning with the communal BJP. Going a step further, Vijay has started appropriating ‘Anna’, CN Annadurai, after whom the AIADMK is named, and AIADMK founder and matinee icon MGR (MG Ramachandran), claiming that they are common assets of Tamil Nadu.