BJP forms poll alliance with AIADMK, PMK in Tamil Nadu
19 Feb 2019
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The Bhartiya Janata party today sealed a mega alliance with the Tamil Nadu’s ruling party AIADMK and its lesser rival PMK for the 2019 Lok Sabha elections. The national party has agreed for 5 seats in the state while the PMK will contest 7 seats from the total 40 seats, including the lone seat in Puducherri.
The BJP and the AIADMK announced their decision to contest the Lok Sabha elections in Tamil Nadu and Puducherry together at the end of talks between the leaders of both parties in Chennai in the afternoon.
The parties also agreed to work together for the assembly byelections in the state.
The decision was announced after union railway minister Piyush Goyal, who is BJP’s election in charge for Tamil Nadu, union minister Pon Radhakrishnan, BJP state president Tamilisai Soundararajan and others held alliance talks with AIADMK joint coordinator and chief minister Edappadi K Palaniswami and party coordinator and deputy chief minister O Panneerselvam.
“I am delighted that AIADMK and the BJP have concluded a fruitful discussion and agreed to the contest elections in Tamil Nadu and Puducherry with alliance partners,” Goyal said.
He also paid rich tributes to the late chief minister Jayalalithaa. “We are starting our campaign with full confidence and will sweep the state of Tamil Nadu as a mark of respect to honour Jayalalithaa,” Goyal said.
He also recalled his last interaction with her, stating, “I fondly remember my last interaction with her in July 2016 when I called on her when we discussed power sector reforms. She was loving, caring. We had a fruitful discussion. They have come alive with my good friends – Edappadi Palaniswami and O Panneerselvam. We are working to continue the legacy that honourable Amma did for Tamil Nadu.”
This time Lotus will bloom in South India in Tamil heartland. The way Modi has done work for development and reconstruction of new India, parties are bound to join hands with BJP, he said.
“All parties will work together and strengthen and the NDA. All the 40 seats will be won by the NDA under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Edapppadi K Palaniswami and Panneerselvam,” he said.
Earlier in the day, the PMK and the AIADMK announced their decision to contest the elections together. + The PMK will contest in seven seats in Tamil Nadu.
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