Chennai, March 24 (IANS) In a key development ahead of the April 23 Tamil Nadu Assembly elections, the AIADMK-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA) has allotted five Assembly seats to the Tamil Manila Congress (Moopanar), led by G.K. Vasan.
The agreement was finalised under the leadership of Tamil Nadu BJP in-charge Piyush Goyal, bringing clarity to a brief phase of uncertainty over seat-sharing.
As per the pact, the Tamil Manila Congress (Moopanar) will contest from Ottanchathiram, Erode West, Ranipet, Killiyoor and Kumbakonam constituencies. Notably, the party will field its candidates on the BJP’s ‘Lotus’ symbol instead of its traditional ‘Cycle’ symbol, citing compliance issues with Election Commission norms.
Announcing the decision, party president G.K. Vasan said the move was necessitated due to constraints in securing approval for its own symbol.
He stated that the party would contest all five constituencies under the lotus symbol, and, as it was not feasible to contest under the cycle symbol in accordance with Election Commission guidelines, they had opted for the BJP symbol.
The seat-sharing arrangement follows earlier friction between alliance partners. The Tamil Manila Congress (Moopanar) initially demanded five seats, while the AIADMK reportedly offered only three, leading to a brief standoff.
However, negotiations concluded on a positive note, with the party securing all five seats it had sought.
The AIADMK-led NDA in Tamil Nadu comprises several parties, including the BJP, Pattali Makkal Katchi (PMK), Amma Makkal Munnetra Kazhagam (AMMK), Tamil Manila Congress (Moopanar), Democratic Party of India, New Justice Revolutionary Bharat, Perunthalaivar Makkal Katchi, and Tamil Nadu Makkal Munnetra Kazhagam.
Seat allocation within the alliance has been progressing steadily, with the BJP already allotted 27 seats and the AMMK securing 18 constituencies.
With seat-sharing talks nearing completion, the AIADMK alliance is expected to shift focus fully to campaign strategy and candidate announcements, setting the stage for a keen electoral contest in Tamil Nadu.
--IANS
aal/dan