CHENNAI: Seat-sharing negotiations between the AIADMK and the BJP, after gathering momentum once Edappadi K Palaniswami met Union Home Minister Amit Shah in New Delhi recently, are moving towards a conflict as a clear divide is seen between the priorities and electoral strategy of the saffron party's national leadership and its Tamil Nadu unit, going by the early discussions.
While the BJP's central leadership is said to be prioritising higher electoral success as a benchmark for securing constituencies, the party's state unit is pressing for a larger share of constituencies in the AIADMK-led alliance, reflecting its attempt to accommodate a growing bench of aspirants and prominent leaders.
Sources familiar with the discussions said Shah's approach is guided by electoral efficiency rather than numerical expansion.
"He is not keen on seeking a large number of seats. The emphasis from the high-command is on constituencies where the party can secure a strong success rate," a highly placed BJP source told this correspondent.
The BJP state unit, however, has conveyed its preference for a higher allocation than the 2021 Assembly election, arguing that the party's organisational growth and the emergence of several influential leaders have created expectations for broader representation.
"The state unit wants more seats than last time to field many of its prominent faces," the source said.
According to party insiders, the AIADMK leadership has expressed reluctance to go beyond a defined seat ceiling. "Our numbers would likely be between 30 and 35 (for the BJP)," the source said, indicating that negotiations are currently revolving around that range.
Another senior BJP leader said the national leadership has made it clear that the party's focus would remain on maximising its strike rate.
"The high command is keen on maintaining a strong success rate rather than contesting a larger number of constituencies. The AIADMK leadership has indicated that the BJP could deliver a success rate of nearly 70–80 per cent in constituencies allotted by the Dravidian major. Based on that assurance, they suggested a limited but strategically chosen set of seats," the leader told DT Next.
The proposal, the leader added, appears to broadly align with the BJP's central leadership, and both parties are expected to finalise the alliance framework in the coming weeks.
Meanwhile, the BJP has begun scaling up its organisational preparations. Party national general secretary (organisation) BL Santhosh has informed party functionaries that election observers from other states will soon begin groundwork for the Tamil Nadu polls.
Around 75 Assembly constituencies have been identified for focused intervention. In the first phase, 57 observers, including MPs, MLAs, former legislators and senior office-bearers from across the country, have been assigned to oversee campaign coordination.
"They will work with local units, monitor poll preparations and devise outreach strategies, including engagement with non-Tamil-speaking voters residing in the State," a senior BJP leader added.