CHENNAI: After PMK leader Anbumani Ramadoss formally joined the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) led by the AIADMK in Tamil Nadu, AIADMK general secretary Edappadi K Palaniswami met Union Home Minister Amit Shah in Delhi on Wednesday.
Sources said the meeting focussed on initial seat-sharing discussions. Tamil Nadu BJP is said to be seeking around 40 Assembly seats, particularly in constituencies where it performed well in the Lok Sabha election. BJP was given only 20 seat in 2021 assembly election.
The leaders are also said to have discussed the possible inclusion of breakaway AIADMK leaders, including Amma Makkal Munnetra Kazhagam leader TTV Dhinakaran and All-India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam Thondarkal Urimai Meetpu Kazhagam leader O Panneerselvam, to prevent a split in the anti-DMK votes.
Meanwhile, BJP sources said it is likely that TTV Dhinakaran will join the alliance soon, for which Palaniswami has given his nod. They also pointed out that Dhinakaran has softened his attacks against the AIADMK leader in recent days.
Though Amit Shah was in Tamil Nadu on January 4 and 5, he did not meet Palaniswami during his visit. He had held discussions with senior AIADMK leader and former minister SP Velumani. A few AIADMK leaders, including Velumani and MR Vijayabhaskar, are already in Delhi.
During Union Home Minister Amit Shah’s recent visit to Tiruchy, he held closed-door talks with AIADMK organisational secretary S P Velumani, which, according to BJP leader Tamilisai Soundararajan, was a routine meeting by the leaders of alliance parties. It was widely expected that Palaniswami would hold discussions with Shah, but EPS did not travel to Tiruchy.