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AIADMK keen on merger with BJP, others for Lok Sabha polls

A senior AIADMK leader says that his party needs to rope in like-minded parties for the Parliamentary polls

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Tamil Nadu CM Edappadi K Palaniswami (R) and Dy CM O Panneerselvam
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Despite opposition from senior party leaders, the ruling AIADMK in Tamil Nadu, is holding talks with the BJP, Ramadoss's Pattali Makkal Katchi (PMK), Vijayakanth's DMDK and GK Vasan's Tamil Maanila Congress, for an electoral alliance for the upcoming Lok Sabha polls.

Though AIADMK coordinator and Tamil Nadu deputy chief minister O Panneerselvam revealed that his party is holding talks with like-minded parties, including national and regional parties, without mentioning their names, sources confirmed that talks are on with BJP, PMK, DMDK and TMC.

To take on the formidable alliance led by the DMK, a senior AIADMK leader said that his party needs to rope in like-minded parties for the Parliamentary polls.

"As and when all parties agree on the number of seats and contesting constituencies, AIADMK will make a formal announcement as the alliance leader in Tamil Nadu," the AIADMK leader said, adding that talks were at a preliminary stage.

Senior AIADMK leaders such as Deputy Lok Sabha Speaker M Thambidurai and former minister C Ponnaiyan warned against having any tie-ups with the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance as the latter's government did not support the Tamil Nadu government. A Tamil Nadu minister, who did not want to be named, said that the exercise of distributing applications to LS ticket aspirants, which began on Monday, is to gauge the mood of the party cadres and demand for particular constituencies following Amma's death. "We will wait till February 10, the last day for the application distribution for the LS seats, to begin our seat-sharing talks," said the minister.

A senior BJP leader said that the talks were being held by the party's central leadership with the AIADMK. "Though some AIADMK leaders were criticising the Narendra Modi government, we are confident of the talks concluding soon to start campaigning ahead of the DMK-led alliance," the leader said.

After hopes of joining the DMK-Congress alliance faded, PMK has responded positively to feelers sent out by the AIADMK, but it will be bargaining hard for seats in its stronghold of North Tamil Nadu. Whereas, actor-turned-politician Vijayakanth's DMDK had to settle for seats offered by the AIADMK after its successive electoral defeats and steep erosion of its voter-base.

PMK’S STATUS

After hopes of joining the DMK-Congress alliance faded, PMK has responded positively to feelers sent out by the AIADMK, but it will have to bargain hard for seats in its stronghold of North Tamil Nadu

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