The NDA on Monday, March 23, sealed its seat-sharing arrangement in Tamil Nadu with 56 of the state’s 234 Assembly constituencies given to allies BJP, PMK and AMMK.
Under the arrangement, the BJP will contest 27 seats, PMK 18 and AMMK 11, with the AIADMK likely to field candidates in the remaining 178 constituencies. The distribution follows days of negotiations, with allies pushing for a larger share before settling on the final formula.
The AIADMK will likely retain the lion’s share of the Assembly seats but the exact numbers are not clear yet. AIADMK General Secretary Edappadi K Palaniswami said talks with some parties are still going on, according to PTI.
The election will take place on April 23.
Palaniswami said the alliance is sure to win 210 out of the 234 Assembly seats. “The alliance will win and AIADMK will form the government,” Palaniswami said during a press conference at party headquarters Puratchi Thalaivar MGR Maaligai.
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The pact was announced in Chennai after a meeting of senior leaders, including Union Minister Piyush Goyal, PMK President Anbumani Ramadoss and AMMK Chief TTV Dhinakaran.
For the BJP, the allocation marks a modest expansion compared with its past presence in the state, while the PMK and AMMK have secured pockets where they retain influence, particularly in the northern and southern regions, respectively.
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(Edited by : Shoma Bhattacharjee)
