After a hard bargain with the AIADMK, heading the NDA in Tamil Nadu, the BJP, scaling down its demand, settled for 27 seats to contest the upcoming assembly elections, seven seats more than the saffron party had contested in the 2021 assembly elections.
The seat-sharing pact was inked by AIADMK general secretary Edappadi K Palaniswami (EPS) and BJP state president Nainar Nagenthran in the presence of Union Minister Piyush Goyal, in charge of the party for the Tamil Nadu elections, Union Minister L Murugan and other leaders of both the parties. This is the culmination of prolonged negotiations spanning months despite the AIADMK’s re-entry into the NDA in March last.
As per the agreement, the OBC Vanniyar dominant Pattali Makkal Katchi (PMK) of Anbumani Ramadoss has got 18 seats, while the Amma Makkal Munnetra Kazhagam (AMMK) of TTV Dhinakaran is given 11 seats. Other constituents of the NDA, including the Tamil Maanila Congress (TMC – Moopanar) of former Union Minister GK Vasan, have been kept waiting by the AIADMK. The deal was finalised after a final round of talks the alliance leaders held with EPS, the chief ministerial face of the front, at the AIADMK office in Chennai. From its earlier demand for 60 seats, the BJP came down to 30 but finally had to accept 27.
Prior to the signing of the deal, EPS had a latest round of discussions with Union Home Minister and BJP strategist Amit Shah in the national capital last week. And in all these, EPS has proved to be a hard nut to crack by not acceding to the heightened demand of the saffron party, intent upon expanding its footprint in the Dravidian heartland despite its vote share in the assembly election remaining around 3 per cent.
Announcing allocation of seats in the NDA to the media, both EPS and Goyal claimed that the NDA will sweep the elections and form the next government. “The allocation of seats for the TMC and other constituents as well as constituencies will be announced shortly,” they added.
“Our alliance, which is an emotionally cohesive one, will secure 210 seats (out of 234). Chief Minister MK Stalin and the partners of the DMK-front are spreading falsehood over our visits to Delhi as they are rattled,” EPS said.
Meanwhile, in the DMK-led Secular Progressive Front, completion of the seat-sharing exercise with key allies like the CPI(M) and the Viduthalai Chiruthaigal Katchi (VCK) as well as Makkal Needhi Maiam (MNM) of actor Kamal Hassan remains elusive as both the parties are unwilling to accept 5 each on offer. A pro-Tamil minor ally, Tamilaga Vazhvurimai Katchi (TVK) of T Velmurugan has quit the alliance, blaming the DMK for acting with a big brother attitude.