The ruling AIADMK in Tamil Nadu, which began its seat sharing talks for the upcoming Assembly polls has offered around 15 seats to its allies the BJP and around 25 seats to the Pattali Makkal Katchi (PMK), sources told TNM. Several BJP leaders state president L Murugan and others like Minister of State (Home Affairs) G Kishan Reddy met with Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Edappadi Palaniswami and Deputy CM O Panneerselvam on Saturday, ahead of Home Minister Amit Shah's visit to the state on Sunday.
The possible constituencies offered to BJP candidates in the 234-seat Assembly, would include areas in Kanyakumari, Coimbatore and possibly some seats in Chennai. The BJP, however, has asked for more seats to contest, sources said. The AIADMK, meanwhile, does not want to increase the number of seats for the BJP but is willing to negotiate.
Sources also said that the PMK has demanded around 30 seats. The seats allocated to them as part of the AIADMK alliance would be from areas around Dharmapuri, Virudhunagar and mainly nothern parts of Tamil Nadu, which have a large population of the Vanniyar community.
On Friday, with minutes to go for the Election Commission’s poll announcement, the Tamil Nadu Assembly passed a Bill providing 10.5% internal reservation to the community within the Most Backward Classes category. The PMK has repeatedly raised the issue of reservation with the AIADMK, in the run up to the polls.
Tamil Nadu will go to polls in a single phase on April 6. The results of the elections will be declared on May 2.
The AIADMK had contested the 2019 Lok Sabha elections in alliance with the BJP, the DMDK, the PMK and others but won only one seat as the DMK- Congress front swept the other 38 constituencies. The AIADMK's campaign this time, steered by Palaniswami, has so far focused on its slew of welfare measures, infrastructure projects and other initiatives, besides its handling of the coronavirus.
With PTI inputs