AIADMK, PMK and BJP to contest LS battle as allies

CHENNAI: Tamil Nadu’s ruling AIADMK on Tuesday announced it will fight the Lok Sabha elections in alliance with the PMK and BJP, allotting seven and five of the 39 seats respectively to them. As per the deal signed by the three parties at a five star hotel here, the Pattali Makkal Katchi (PMK) will also get a Rajya Sabha seat to contest in 2019.

AIADMK Coordinator and Deputy Chief Minister O Panneerselvam told the media that both the PMK and BJP will support the AIADMK in the Assembly by-elections due in 21 constituencies.

The AIADMK, under the leadership of then Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa, won a staggering 37 of the 39 Lok Sabha seats in Tamil Nadu in 2014. The BJP and PMK won one seat each, all three parties fighting on their own strength.

The first to go off the block on Tuesday was the pact with PMK, whose strongholds lie in the Vanniyar-belt in Tamil Nadu.

“Under the AIADMK-LED alliance for the 2019 Lok Sabha polls, PMK gets seven Lok Sabha seats. It will also get one Rajya Sabha seat,” Panneerselvam told reporters.

“This is a mega and strong alliance that will win in the Lok Sabha polls,” PMK Founder S Ramadoss told reporters, a sentiment echoed by Union Minister and Tamil Nadu in-charge for BJP Piyush Goyal.

The PMK won six seats in the 2004 Lok Sabha election — its highest so far.

Later in the evening, Panneerselvam announced the AIAMDK-BJP pact, giving the latter five seats.

Piyush Goyal said: “We have agreed to contest the elections under the leadership of Chief Minister K Palaniswami and Deputy Chief Minister Panneerselvam. All 40 seats in Tamil Nadu (39 seats) and Puducherry will be won by us.”

Asked about other parties like the DMDK, Goyal said the alliance will take place in due course of time. He said he will be meeting DMDK leader Vijayakant.