Tamil Nadu elections: From Delhi to Chennai, NDA push to seal deal on seats

Seat-sharing talks within the NDA in Tamil Nadu intensified with allies reaching a final agreement after the Assembly elections were announced.

AIADMK general secretary Edappadi K Palaniswami met Union Home Minister Amit Shah in Delhi on Thursday to discuss seat sharing and said the figures would be finalized within four days. A day later, AMMK chief TTV Dhinakaran also met Shah in the capital. On Saturday, BJP’s Tamil Nadu in-charge Piyush Goyal reached Chennai for final consultations with the AIADMK and other allies. The deal is expected to be announced in Chennai in the presence of NDA leaders.

The NDA in Tamil Nadu includes AIADMK, BJP, AMMK and PMK led by Anbumani Ramadoss and the Tamil Manila Congress. In 2021, the BJP contested 20 seats and won four. This time it has shortlisted around 75 constituencies and is trying to contest at least 30 seats. The party identified segments from which it saw strong prospects and shared its list with the AIADMK; Final negotiations are ongoing.
The BJP is eyeing constituencies in Coimbatore, Kanyakumari, Chennai and other districts as part of its effort to expand its base in the state.

Tamil Nadu Assembly elections will be held on April 23, with counting on May 4.