It's official: AIADMK to lead coalition with BJP\, PMK as partners for Lok Sabha polls in TN

It's official: AIADMK to lead coalition with BJP, PMK as partners for Lok Sabha polls in TN

Union minister Piyush Goyal announced that BJP will contest in five seats in alliance with AIADMK in Tamil Nadu.

Published: 19th February 2019 05:01 PM  |   Last Updated: 19th February 2019 06:20 PM   |  A+A-

Union minister Piyush Goyal addresses media after annoucement of alliance with AIADMK. (Photo: EPS/ P Jawahar)

By Online Desk

After sealing a pre-poll pact with PMK earlier in the day, AIADMK has officially sealed the alliance with BJP for the Lok Sabha polls in which the saffron party would contest five seats in the state.

The announcement was made by AIADMK coordinator and deputy chief minister O Panneerselvam and Union Minister and senior BJP leader Piyush Goyal, party election in-charge for Tamil Nadu, who described it as a "mega alliance".

The national party will also extend support to AIADMK for the bypolls to 21 Assembly seats and in the biennial elections to Rajya Sabha this year.

gap of 10 years

The formal announcement came after the second and final round of discussions held in Chennai by the two parties that also involved Chief Minister K Palaniswami.

Earlier in the day, the AIADMK clinched a deal with the PMK, offering the Vanniyar-based party seven out of 40 seats, including one in the neighbouring union territory of Puducherry. PMK has been a vitriolic critic of both AIADMK and DMK alike until recently.

DMDK too is reportedly in alliance talks with the AIADMK. So it isn't clear as of now how many seats the AIADMK will contest out of the remaining 28 constituencies.

DMK president MK Stalin strongly criticised PMK leader Dr S Ramadoss of entering into an electoral truck 'without worrying' about the 'interests of the people and the nation'. Pointing out that the PMK leader had recently released a book 'Kazhagathin Kathai' enlisting the corruption indulged in by the AIADMK, Stalin asked didn't the 'big man' have 'shame' or 'self-respect'.

The alliance in Tamil Nadu for BJP comes a day after it officially announced its partnership with Shiv Sena in Maharashtra for the Lok Sabha elections.

(with inputs from PTI)