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Met Shah to discuss TN political situation: EPS
AIADMK's Edappadi K Palaniswami met Amit Shah to discuss Tamil Nadu's political situation, not alliance talks, amid speculation on expelled leaders' roles.
All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK) general secretary Edappadi K Palaniswami on Thursday said he had met Union home minister Amit Shah in New Delhi to discuss the prevailing political situation in Tamil Nadu, and that they did not deliberate on alliance-related matters.
Speaking to reporters in New Delhi, EPS said that the central topic of his conversation with Shah was the prevailing political scenario in Tamil Nadu rather than seat-sharing in particular.
Responding to questions on the prospects of formerly expelled leaders such as Amma Makkal Munnetra Kazhagam (AMMK) chief TTV Dhinkaran, he recalled that Shah had said that he would not interfere in the internal affairs of the AIADMK and dismissed media speculation on the prospects of previously expelled leaders.
Senior leaders aware of the matter, however, claimed that the BJP was still trying to rope the expelled leaders—former chief minister O Panneerselvam (OPS), Amma Makkal Munnetra Kazhagam (AMMK) founder TTV Dhinakaran and V K Sasikala
“Talks are on with some parties to rope them into our alliance. We will inform you when things are finalised, just as we had informed you yesterday about PMK joining us,” he added.
On Wednesday, ahead of the meeting with Shah, EPS finalised the terms of Pattali Makkal Katchi’s (PMK) alliance with the NDA in Chennai.
Flaying Tamil Nadu chief minister MK Stalin for claiming that AIADMK was striving to pave the way for a BJP government in the state, Palaniswami remarked that the chief minister may be unaware that it was the AIADMK leading the alliance in the state.
AIADMK’s latest stint within the NDA has been marked by contention over the sharing of seats, with EPS repeatedly asserting that his party would form a majority government in the event of a win, a point repeatedly contradicted by Shah.
According to a leader present at the meeting with the home minister, “Shah has demanded a share in power and for the BJP to be part of the cabinet.”
“He has also said that the BJP will contest in more assembly seats, since the party had a vote share of 11% in the Lok Sabha elections in 2024,” added the leader quoted above, who also said that AIADMK maintained its demand to contest the same number of seats as it did in the last assembly elections in 2021— 179 out of a total of 234.
“DMK would be at an advantage if we agree to a coalition government,” another senior leader said, citing the historical lack of support that proposals to form coalition governments enjoyed in the state, notable during the 1980 assembly elections when DMK’s proposal to form a coalition government with the Congress was rejected by the people, who went on to vote an AIADMK regime into power.
Both the Dravidian majors, the DMK and the AIADMK, have historically resisted coalition governments in Tamil Nadu, even though they have been part of coalition governments at the national level.
In the 2006 assembly elections, when no party had an absolute majority, then DMK chief M Karunanidhi formed a minority government with outside support from parties such as the Congress and Left parties.
(with PTI inputs)
