Tamil Nadu Assembly Elections 2021: The ruling party of Tamil Nadu, the All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK), has allotted 20 assembly seats to its ally the Bhartiya Janata Party. AIADMK revealed the seat-sharing plan after hectic parsleys which continued for several days until both the parties agreed on Friday night.
AIADMK also allotted a Lok Sabha by-poll seat in Kanyakumari to the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) as per the poll pact agreement signed between the two parties.
The agreement was signed by AIADMK party coordinator O Panneerselvam and joint coordinator Edappadi Palaniswami along with Tamil Nadu BJP state president L Murugan and state election in-charge CT Ravi. The AIADMK will work for the BJP candidate in the Kanyakumari Lok Sabha seat, a press release stated.
The BJP expected a higher number of seats and has been driving a hard bargain from February 28 after seat-sharing talks commenced in the presence of Union Home Minister Amit Shah.
It is pertinent to note that the number of seats offered by AIADMK to the BJP is less than the number of seats allotted to Pattali Makkal Katchi (PMK). AIADMK finalized its alliance with PMK, allowing the latter to field candidates from 23 constituencies under the alliance.
AIADMK releases the first list of candidates
The ruling All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK) on Friday released its first list of six candidates for the upcoming assembly polls.
As per the first list, Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Edappadi K. Palaniswami would contest from the Edappadi assembly constituency while his deputy O. Panneerselvam will be in the fray from Bodinayakanur in Theni district.
Fisheries Minister D. Jayakumar and Law Minister C Ve Shanmugam will contest from Royapuram and Villupuram while the AIADMK has fielded MLAs S.P. Shanmuganathan and S. Thenmozhi from Srivaigundam and Nilakottai (Reserved) segments.