Tamil Nadu polls: Edappadi K Palaniswami makes second solo trip to Delhi to seal AIADMK-BJP seat-sharing pact

CHENNAI: AIADMK general secretary Edappadi K Palaniswami has undertaken another solo trip to Delhi to hold one-on-one talks with Union Home Minister Amit Shah to finalise the seat-sharing arrangement.According to sources, both the AIADMK and

BJP

camps indicated that the discussion would focus on a few constituencies where the allies are likely to clash over claims.More than the numbers, the tug-of-war revolves around “specific constituencies” considered strong pockets of the Dravidian major leading the alliance. However, senior leaders on both sides expressed confidence that the EPS–Shah meeting would iron out the differences and pave the way for a formal agreement in the coming days. Union Minister Piyush Goyal is expected to visit Chennai on Friday to complete the final round of talks before the end of the week.

It may be recalled that EPS, the chief ministerial candidate of the alliance, had flown to Delhi alone on 2 March for a nearly two-hour discussion with Shah at his residence.In 2021, the BJP was allocated 20 seats in the alliance. This time, it is keen on contesting more seats than the Congress, which received 28 seats in the DMK-led Secular Progressive Alliance.