AIADMK Gives Sattur Seat to BJP After Nainar Nagendran’s Push, Signals Alliance Shift in Tamil Nadu

Chennai: In a significant seat-sharing decision ahead of the upcoming Assembly election, the All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK) has ceded the Sattur Assembly constituency in Virudhunagar district to its ally, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), despite a strong electoral track record in the segment.

The move comes after BJP’s Tamil Nadu unit chief Nainar Nagendran expressed interest in contesting from Sattur and reportedly made a direct request to AIADMK general secretary Edappadi K. Palaniswami. Respecting the alliance dynamics, Palaniswami is learnt to have persuaded local party leaders to give the seat in favour of the BJP.

Sattur has historically been a politically competitive constituency. The AIADMK has won here five times, while the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam has secured four victories. The Indian National Congress has won thrice, and the Forward Bloc once.

In recent elections, the seat has witnessed frequent shifts. DMK’s Sattur Ramachandran won in 2006, followed by AIADMK’s R.B. Udhayakumar in 2011. AIADMK retained the seat in 2016 through Subramanian and again in the 2019 bypoll through Rajavarman. However, the 2021 Assembly election saw DMK-backed MDMK candidate Raghuraman reclaim the constituency.

The internal dynamics of the AIADMK have also played a role in the current development. Following the death of former Chief Minister J. Jayalalithaa, the party witnessed organisational restructuring in Virudhunagar district, leading to the emergence of parallel factions under leaders such as Ravichandran and former minister K.T. Rajendra Balaji.

The period also saw political realignments, notably when Subramanian joined Amma Makkal Munnetra Kazhagam led by T. T. V. Dhinakaran, resulting in disqualification of 18 MLAs. He later rejoined AIADMK in the presence of Palaniswami.

For the upcoming polls, both Ravichandran and Rajavarman were actively seeking the party ticket from Sattur, with indications that Ravichandran had the upper hand. However, the constituency’s allocation to the BJP has altered local equations.

Party sources indicate that Palaniswami personally urged Ravichandran to уступ the seat in the interest of alliance cohesion. Ravichandran, in turn, is said to have stepped aside, with the option of contesting from alternative constituencies such as Aruppukottai or Tiruchuzhi.

The decision underscores AIADMK’s broader strategy to strengthen its alliance with the BJP in Tamil Nadu, particularly in constituencies where the national party is keen to expand its footprint. For the BJP, fielding a state president like Nainar Nagendran from Sattur signals an intent to consolidate organisational presence in southern districts.

Meanwhile, AIADMK cadre expect that Ravichandran’s уступ gesture will be recognised by the party leadership, possibly through organisational or electoral accommodation elsewhere.