The ruling AIADMK in Tamil Nadu and the BJP Tuesday sealed an alliance for the coming Lok Sabha elections under which the saffron party would contest five seats in the state.
The ruling AIADMK in Tamil Nadu and the BJP Tuesday sealed an alliance for the coming Lok Sabha elections under which the saffron party would contest five seats in the state.
The announcement was made by AIADMK coordinator and deputy chief minister O Panneerselvam and Union Minister and senior BJP leader Piyush Goyal, party election in-charge for Tamil Nadu, who described it as a "mega alliance". This came after the second and final round of discussions held here by the two parties that also involved Chief Minister K Palaniswami.
Earlier in the day, the AIADMK clinched a deal with the PMK, offering the Vanniyar-based party seven out of 40 seats, including one in the neighbouring union territory of Puducherry.
It was not clear yet how many seats the AIADMK would contest.
Announcing the deal in the presence of Chief Minister K Palaniswami, AIADMK coordinator and Deputy Chief Minister O Panneerselvam said it has also been decided that the PMK will be allocated a Rajya Sabha seat. Under the deal, The PMK will be supporting the AIADMK in the bypolls expected to 21 Assembly constituencies in Tamil Nadu, he said. A formal agreement in this regard was signed between the leadership of the two parties in a city hotel.
PMK founder leader S Ramadoss described the coalition as "an alliance for people's welfare, a mega coalition and a victorious alliance."
"To retrieve the rights of Tamil Nadu people, we have made a 10-point charter of demands," Ramadoss said.The demands include declaring the Cauvery delta districts as a protected farm region, a caste wise census be held in Tamil Nadu and seven Rajiv case convicts be set free. "This coalition will be successful in all the 40 constituencies in Tamil Nadu and Puducherry," he said. The rationale for aligning with the AIADMK will be explained by his son and former Union Health Minister Dr Anbumani Ramadoss later, he said.
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