CHENNAI: The AIADMK is set to seal the seat-sharing pact with the BJP only after the Pongal, according to party sources, though the formal talks began smoothly on Tuesday.

The meeting with Union minister Piyush Goyal also touched upon the prevailing political situation in Tamil Nadu, the impact of actor Vijay’s Tamilaga Vettri Kalagam, and the works to be undertaken by the AIADMK-BJP alliance, under the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) banner, in these Assembly elections, party leaders said.

The AIADMK and the BJP, which were not in an alliance during the last Parliamentary elections, are set to contest the upcoming Assembly elections together, and the AIADMK is eyeing more than 160 seats in the total 234 seats, leaders privy to the developments said.

The first round of talks with the team deputed by the BJP top brass focused only on the courtesy part of the alliance. Union ministers Piyush Goyal, Arjun Ram Meghwal and Muraleedhar Mohol commenced with the talks with an overall discussion on the political waters.

Former AIADMK ministers Dindigul Srinivasan, Thangamani, Velumani, and KP Munusamy also took part in the talks along with Edappadi Palaniswami. Similarly, from the BJP side, former Union Minister L Murugan, central observers Arvind Menon, Sudhakar Reddy, and others participated in the discussions.

Sources indicate that during today’s talks, the saffron Party pushed for seats according to its winning probability, based on Assembly constituencies where it secured a significant vote share in the last Parliamentary elections.

However, no final decision was taken today on the constituencies that the BJP will contest. It has been stated that details regarding the number and allocation of seats to the BJP will be finalised only after Pongal, once the parties that will join the NDA are known.