Deal eludes AIADMK as allies stick to seat numbers
CHENNAI: After burning the midnight oil for two successive days the ruling AIADMK and the BJP seat-sharing talks continued for the third day without any conclusion.
According to a highly placed AIADMK source, AIADMK is likely to yield around 25 seats for the saffron partner. “The latest demand from the BJP was around 32 seats, but we would like to give around 16 seats, which the BJP was not willing to agree. BJP state leader K Annamalai had also come out with a wish list of seats for their party and the agreement is likely by Wednesday,” the source added.
The AIADMK had formulated a committee led by joint coordinators KP Munusamy, R Vaithilingam, senior ministers P Thangamani and SP Velumani to hold talks with the BJP committee led by Union Minister of State for Home Affairs Kishan Reddy. The committee also includes state president L Murugan and former minister Pon Radhakrishnan.
According to AIADMK insiders, separate suites have been hired at a star hotel in MRC Nagar for the holding talks with the BJP and the DMDK. The DMDK committee led by Alagapuram Mohanraj is also holding alliance talks with the ruling party and a consensus among the allies are expected by Wednesday with the DMDK likely to settle for less than 20 Assembly seats. Meanwhile, PMK leaders GK Mani and AK Murthy are also there in the hotel to ensure that a consensus would be arrived in identifying the list of constituencies among the allies, sources said. State BJP president L Murugan on Tuesday clarified that talks between the two parties regarding seat-sharing were progressing well. The Assembly election will be on April 6 and the counting of votes will be on May 2.
The latest demand from the BJP was around 32 seats, but we would like to give around 16 seats -AIADMK source