CHENNAI: AIADMK general secretary Edappadi K Palaniswami on Thursday ruled out any possibility of re-admitting breakaway leaders O Panneerselvam and VK Sasikala into the party, a day after meeting Union Home Minister Amit Shah in New Delhi.
Palaniswami, however, did not dismiss the prospect of Amma Makkal Munnetra Kazhagam led by TTV Dhinakaran joining the National Democratic Alliance (NDA). Discussions were under way with “several parties” to bring them into the alliance, and announcements would be made once talks are finalised, he said.
Seat-sharing talks will begin after finalising alliance: EPS
Amid media reports that the BJP was driving a hard bargain for over 50 seats and ministerial berths, Palaniswami clarified that he had discussed only the prevailing political situation in Tamil Nadu with Shah, as he could not meet the union minister during his visit to the state earlier this week.
He stressed that seat-sharing talks would begin only after the alliance structure was finalised and more parties formally joined the NDA.
Responding to a question on whether the inclusion of Panneerselvam and Sasikala would strengthen the AIADMK, Palaniswami said the party was already strong. He pointed out that the AIADMK had won 75 seats in the 2021 Assembly elections and that the vote-share difference with the DMK was just three percentage points.
Meanwhile, speaking to reporters, BJP state president Nainar Nagenthran on Thursday also ruled out seat-sharing talks between the AIADMK and BJP. When asked whether the BJP was demanding 56 seats and three ministerial berths, he said the number of seats was not important, adding that “who shouldn’t be the CM” was the real issue, in a reference to Chief Minister MK Stalin and the DMK. Nagenthran is scheduled to meet Palaniswami in Chennai on Friday. Senior BJP leaders in the state said that while the BJP had identified constituencies where it was strong, seat-sharing talks with the AIADMK were yet to begin. The question of sharing power would arise only if the AIADMK depended on the BJP and other allies to secure a majority in the Assembly, a senior leader said.
Hitting back at Stalin’s remark that TN would be “ruled from Delhi” if the AIADMK came to power, EPS said the AIADMK would head the alliance in TN. He also recalled that the DMK had allied with the BJP in the past, with its leaders holding ministerial positions in 1999.
On the TNAPS, EPS accused the DMK of deceiving government employees after promising to restore the Old Pension Scheme in its election manifesto.
Targeting the Ungal Kanava Sollungal scheme, EPS alleged that the state, through Populus Empowerment Network, was hiring around 50,000 volunteers using public funds in the final phase of its term. “How will they fulfil people’s dreams now, with the election notification just a month away,” he asked.