TN assembly polls: EPS meets Amit Shah in Delhi, alliance seat-sharing nears finalisation, NDA partners join talks

Chennai: Seat sharing talks in the AIADMK - BJP front have gathered pace on Friday after the meeting of AIADMK general secretary Edappadi K Palaniswami with Union home minister Amit Shah in New Delhi. AMMK general secretary TTV Dhinakaran and PMK president Anbumani Ramadoss too flew to Delhi for talks.

"Everything will be finalised within four days. Unlike the DMK alliance, it will be done smoothly, with the aim of ensuring that all partners get winnable seats," EPS told reporters in New Delhi airport on his way to Chennai after meeting Shah.

He said BJP's TN in-charge Piyush Goyal would visit the state within two days to seal the deal and that the AIADMK would release its poll manifesto within a week. EPS chose not to reveal the likely number of seats that AIADMK would be contesting and the seats to be allotted to the allies.

He also ruled out any alliance with actor Vijay's TVK. "AIADMK leads the alliance. No leader from our front has spoken to TVK, nor have they approached us," he said, responding to claims by TVK functionary Aadhav Arjuna that the party had been offered 90 seats and a 2.5-year chief ministership.

EPS defended his Delhi visit stating that Shah was unable to come to TN as he was ``overloaded with election work" in other states. Hence, he travelled to Delhi to meet Shah, EPS said. The meeting on Thursday night with Shah lasted for close to an hour where differences over specific assembly seats were ironed out.

Even as EPS returned to Chennai, TTV Dhinakaran and Anbumani Ramadoss headed to Delhi to meet Shah.

Dhinakaran played down the significance of the visits. "I received an invitation from Amit Shah four days ago," he said, reiterating that the AMMK remains part of the NDA, led by the BJP nationally and by "beloved elder brother" EPS in TN. He maintained that his party would contest on the ‘Cooker' symbol and described Shah as a "key leader of the NDA."

Dismissing Chief minister M K Stalin's "Delhi vs Tamil Nadu" pitch, Dhinakaran framed the contest as one between the AIADMK-led NDA and the DMK alliance. He also accused the ruling party of being "worried" about the opposition's moves and expressed confidence that the alliance would reflect the people's mood for change.

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