Lok Sabha elections 2019: AIADMK list likely today, Tamil Nadu BJP causes delay

CHENNAI: The AIADMK is likely to announce the constituency list to be allotted to parties in the National Democratic Alliance on Saturday. Even though the number of seats to the alliance parties were finalized, after agreements with DMDK and TMC, the actual constituencies to be allotted to each party, especially the BJP, has been dragging on for the last couple of days. “All issues have been sorted out and the AIADMK will announce the list on Saturday,” said a source. While seats to be allotted to the allies have almost been narrowed down, there are a couple of seats where more than one party is keen on contesting.

Sources said fissures within the BJP are creating hurdles in drafting a final list. The party has already decided Kanyakumari, Tuticorin, Coimbatore and Sivaganga as the seats from where it will field candidates. But there are problems within the BJP for the fifth seat that is likely to be Ramanathapuram and leaders Vanathi Srinivasan, Karuppu Muruganandham, BT Arasa Kumar and Nainar Nagendran all want it.

“We have received confirmation about Ramanathapuram from the leaders, after our party election in-charge and Union minister Piyush Goyal held talks with the AIADMK leaders on Wednesday,” a BJP functionary said.

However, the AIADMK is yet to complete the formality as BJP vice-president Nainar Nagendran is trying to persuade Goyal to get the seat for himself, while the party leadership is keen on fielding either Muruganandham, the state general secretary, or Arasa Kumar. “It is delaying the process,” said the party source.

Vanathi Srinivasan, BJP state general secretary Vanathi Srinivasan who is close to defence minister Nirmala Sitharaman, has also been pushing hard to get a ticket for herself.