CHENNAI: AIADMK general secretary Edappadi K Palaniswami met Union Home Minister and BJP's key election strategist Amit Shah on Monday and discussed seat-sharing arrangements within the NDA ahead of the upcoming Assembly polls in Tamil Nadu.
EPS left for Delhi this morning on a sudden visit, a move seen as crucial to finalising seat-sharing arrangements.
Sources indicate that discussions will centre on the number of constituencies to be allocated to the BJP as part of the alliance agreement.
The visit comes a day after Prime Minister Narendra Modi addressed a public rally in Madurai, and follows a consultative meeting of NDA leaders. According to sources, detailed discussions were held on seat sharing among alliance partners, as well as on the constituencies proposed by the AIADMK for the BJP.
However, sources suggest that the BJP has not fully agreed with the number of seats proposed by the AIADMK. The AIADMK is understood to prefer allocating BJP winnable constituencies rather than increasing the overall number of seats.
The AIADMK is said to be keen on allotting a substantial number of constituencies to the BJP in the western and southern districts, where the party currently has representation. The BJP presently has four MLAs in the State, all elected from constituencies in these regions. Additionally, the AIADMK is said to be ready to allot two to three constituencies in Chennai to the BJP.
An official agreement between the alliance partners is expected to be formally signed in the coming days, following the Palaniswami-Shah talks on Monday.