Differences ironed out in NDA, Goyal to visit TN for final seat talks

Chennai: After most of the differences within the NDA were ironed out during the recent meeting between AIADMK general secretary Edappadi K Palaniswami and Union home minister Amit Shah in Delhi, Tamil Nadu poll in-charge Piyush Goyal is set to arrive in the state on Monday to give final touches to the seat sharing arrangement.

Goyal will hold talks with alliance parties and formalise seat-sharing arrangements, BJP state president Nainar Nagenthran said on Sunday. He is scheduled to reach Chennai on Monday morning and return the same day.

The broad contours of the seat allocation among allies was discussed in Delhi, with Shah leaving the final numbers to be worked out during talks between Goyal and Palaniswami. A senior BJP leader said, Most of the contentious constituencies have been largely resolved.

AIADMK and BJP sources said the saffron party would be getting 28 or 29 seats, while PMK 16 to 18 and AMMK 10. These numbers also depend on the specific constituencies that the parties seek. BJP is particular that more than the number of seats it would want the seats that it considered favourable. Other allies would be allotted one to three seats.

The discussions also revolved around funding for the campaign as well as constituencies where multiple allies have shown interest. BJP leaders said that in Chennai, BJP was likely to settle for either T Nagar or Velachery, giving up the demand for both constituencies. BJP might also get Mylapore.

In Coimbatore, an AIADMK stronghold with 10 assembly seats won by the NDA in 2021, BJP was earlier allotted only Coimbatore South, represented by Vanathi Srinivasan. This time, it might get two seats, said a BJP leader. One of the seats would be to accommodate former state president K Annamalai, said BJP sources. In Kanyakumari district, one seat has been indicated for sitting MLA M R Gandhi in Nagercoil.

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