CHENNAI: After days of anticipation, the ruling AIADMK on Tuesday inked poll pacts with BJP and PMK, allocating five and seven seats (and a Rajya Sabha ticket) to the parties respectively. However, due to hard bargaining by Vijayakanth’s DMDK, the alliance with that party could not announced on Tuesday. 

Sources said the DMDK initially wanted nine Lok Sabha seats and one RS seat or at least as many seats as the PMK. However, the AIADMK was only willing to go up to three seats given DMDK’s performance in the 2016 Assembly elections as well as the splits that occurred within the party two years ago. BJP leaders led by Union Minister Piyush Goyal, in-charge of polls for BJP in the State, visited Vijayakanth’s Virugambakkam residence in the evening but talks reportedly reached a stalemate. BJP sources said talks would continue in the coming days.  

While the BJP has forged an alliance with the AIADMK after 15 years, PMK is joining hands with the AIADMK after 10 years. 

PMK, which fought the 2016 Assembly polls on its own, had vowed not to align with the Dravidian parties. Till recently, the party’s founder S Ramadoss and his son Anbumani Ramadoss have sharply criticised the ruling party. 

Addressing a press conference after signing the alliance agreement, the senior Ramadoss said his party had put forth 10 demands for aligning with AIADMK for LS polls. The conditions included conducting caste-wise census, release of seven convicts in the Rajiv Gandhi assassination case, announcing Cauvery delta area as protected agri zone, closing down of sand quarries, closure of TASMAC shops in a phased manner, implementing old pension scheme for the government employees and teachers, waiver of crop loans given to farmers through the cooperative banks and exempting Tamil Nadu from NEET examination. 

Later, in a statement, Ramadoss justified his party’s decision to align with the AIADMK. He said though the party had taken a decision not to align with the Dravidian parties, the views of party functionaries that PMK should have strong presence in the Parliament to voice the issues of Tamil Nadu were considered. 

Meanwhile, MLA Thameemun Ansari, who heads Manithaneya Jananayaga Katchi and won on the Two Leaves symbol, resented the AIADMK’s decision to align with the BJP. He said his party’s high-level meeting next week would decide the next course of action. MLA and actor S Karunas, of the Mukkulathor Pulippadai, who also won on Two Leaves symbol, condemned the AIADMK-BJP alliance.

BJP to get one RS seat, PT may fight from Tenkasi

Sources said AIADMK had also agreed to give the BJP one Rajya Sabha seat, which probably could be given to BJP national secretary H Raja. Significantly, the firebrand Raja has been keeping a low-profile ever since the alliance talks begin. However, there are rumours that the AIADMK had requested the BJP not to field Raja in the Lok Sabha elections. BJP sources said IJK has not been given any seat this time but AC Shanmugam’s New Justice Party might get one seat. Puthiya Thamizhagam president K Krishnasamy may contest on the Two Leaves symbol from Tenkasi