BJP pushes for at least 30 seats from AIADMK in Tamil Nadu alliance, talks intensify ahead of Assembly polls

Chennai: With the Tamil Nadu Assembly election drawing closer, negotiations within the opposition alliance are beginning to gather momentum, with the Bharatiya Janata Party pressing the AIADMK for a larger share of seats than what the Congress has secured in the rival DMK-led front.

In the DMK alliance, the Congress has been allotted 28 seats. According to emerging political signals, BJP leaders and strategists are urging the party to seek at least 30 seats — or more — from the AIADMK in the seat-sharing arrangement. The development has set off speculation within political circles over how AIADMK general secretary Edappadi K. Palaniswami will respond to the demand.

Four-cornered contest shaping up

The Tamil Nadu Assembly election this time is expected to witness a four-cornered contest. The Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam-led alliance, the All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam combine, Naam Tamilar Katchi led by Seeman, and actor Vijay’s Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam are all preparing to enter the fray.

The Bharatiya Janata Party has already confirmed that it will contest the election in alliance with the AIADMK. Although the alliance was broadly sealed last year, seat-sharing talks between the two parties are still inconclusive, prolonging uncertainty within the coalition.

Speculation over Vijay factor

Political chatter suggests that attempts are also being made to bring Vijay’s Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam into the alliance fold. Some insiders believe that this effort may be one reason behind the delay in finalising the seat-sharing formula. Whether Vijay will eventually align with the BJP-AIADMK bloc, however, remains an open question.

BL Santhosh holds strategy meeting

Even as negotiations continue, the BJP has stepped up its organisational preparations in Tamil Nadu. Constituency in-charges have been appointed and an election management structure has been put in place.

In this backdrop, BJP national general secretary (organisation) B. L. Santhosh convened a strategy meeting at a private hotel in Chennai’s Aminjikarai area. The meeting was attended by election observers appointed for Tamil Nadu from neighbouring states such as Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka and Telangana.

Senior leaders including Tamil Nadu BJP president Nainar Nagendran were present at the deliberations.

Focus on linguistic minority votes

A key focus of the discussions was how to attract votes from linguistic minority communities that are believed to traditionally favour the DMK.

Participants deliberated on strategies to reach Telugu-speaking voters and other language-based minority groups, particularly those residing in border districts of the state. Leaders were advised to intensify efforts to bring these sections closer to the AIADMK-BJP alliance.

Santhosh is learnt to have emphasised that party leaders and cadres should remain fully engaged in election work until April 15, focusing on organisational mobilisation and booth-level outreach.

Push for minimum 30 seats

The meeting also reviewed constituencies considered organisationally strong for the BJP and discussed strategies to consolidate its presence there.

During the deliberations, several leaders argued that since the Congress has secured 28 seats in the DMK alliance, the BJP should aim to contest at least 30 constituencies in Tamil Nadu. Contesting fewer seats than the Congress, they cautioned, could send a politically unfavourable signal.

The demand was discussed at length, reflecting the BJP’s attempt to negotiate from a stronger position within the alliance.

Another issue raised during the meeting related to remarks by Edappadi K. Palaniswami, who has often stated that the AIADMK would form the government on its own.

Santhosh reportedly issued a directive advising state leaders not to publicly discuss questions about leadership of the alliance or the prospect of a coalition government. The BJP and AIADMK are part of the National Democratic Alliance, he said, and decisions on such matters would be taken by the national leadership.

Seat-sharing still undecided

Speaking about the meeting later, Nainar Nagendran said that a final decision on seat-sharing had not yet been reached.

Even so, BJP leaders appear keen to contest at least 30 Assembly seats in Tamil Nadu and are positioning themselves accordingly in the ongoing negotiations. Whether the AIADMK leadership will agree to that number — and whether such a formula is politically workable — remains uncertain.

For now, the contours of the alliance arithmetic are still evolving, and the answer may emerge only in the coming days as talks between the partners continue.