BJP And AIADMK Announce Tie-Up For Lok Sabha Polls

The BJP and the AIADMK on Tuesday finalised their alliance for the upcoming Lok Sabha polls, just hours after the All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK) clinched a deal with the Pattali Makkal Katchi (PMK).

Tamil Nadu Deputy Chief Minister O Panneerselvam said that the BJP will contest on five of the 39 seats in the Lok Sabha elections in Tamil Nadu. Both the parties will also contest together Puducherry.

Union Minister Piyush Goyal said the BJP will support AIADMK in the by-polls expected in 21 assembly seats in Tamil Nadu. “We have agreed to contest elections in the leadership of O Panneerselvam and Palaniswamy in state and under the leadership of (Prime Minister Narendra) Modiji at centre,” he was quoted as saying by ANI. 

Goyal expressed confidence that the alliance would win all 40 seats, including the lone constituency in neighbouring union territory of Puducherry, “as a mark of respect to late Jayalalithaaji, the honourable Amma.”

The pact was reached after the second and final round of discussions held by leaders of the two parties that also involved Chief Minister K Palaniswamy.

Earlier in the day, the AIADMK had announcing the tie up with PMK with Panneerselvam saying that PMK would contest in seven Lok Sabha seats. It was also decided that the PMK would be allocated a Rajya Sabha seat.

Under the deal, the PMK would also support AIADMK in the by-polls, Panneerselvam said.

By clinching the deal, AIADMK has stolen a march over the opposition-led front, led by arch rival DMK. Seat sharing talks in the opposition front, in which Congress is a key partner, have not concluded yet.

DMK’s efforts to rope in PMK into the alliance did not fructify.

PMK founder leader S Ramadoss described the coalition as “an alliance for people’s welfare, a mega coalition and a victorious alliance.”

“This coalition will be successful in all the 40 constituencies in Tamil Nadu and Puducherry,” he said.

(With PTI inputs)