CHENNAI: After several rounds of talks, the BJP late on Friday sealed a pact with the ruling AIADMK, settling for 20 MLA seats and Kanyakumari Lok Sabha seat in the polls to be held on April 6.
AIADMK coordinator O Panneerselvam, joint coordinator Edappadi K Palaniswami, BJP general secretary and TN in-charge C T Ravi and state president of the BJP, L Murugan, had signed the pact dated March 5. Earlier in the day, the AIADMK released its first list of six candidates, fielding the CM and his deputy from their home turf — Edappadi and Bodinaikkanur.
After BJP’s poll strategist and Union minister Amit Shah held nearly three-hour talks with AIADMK leaders EPS and OPS last Saturday, Union minister and TN election in-charge G Kishan Reddy and state BJP leaders held multiple rounds of negotiations with the ruling party. The deal was delayed due to a purported disagreement over sharing of some constituencies in the western belt, particularly in Coimbatore district, between both the parties.
“AIADMK will extend full cooperation in all the 20 constituencies to be fought by the BJP in the assembly poll and the Kanyakumari bypoll,” AIADMK leaders declared in the agreement.
AIADMK has already allocated 23 seats to one of its ally, PMK, while it continues to hold talks with other smaller parties, including Vijayakanth’s DMDK.