Chennai, March 20 (IANS) Political activity within the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) in Tamil Nadu intensified on Friday as key allies, PMK president Anbumani Ramadoss and AMMK general secretary T.T.V. Dhinakaran, left for New Delhi to meet Union Home Minister Amit Shah, amid ongoing seat-sharing negotiations ahead of the Assembly elections.
The back-to-back visits by NDA leaders signal a crucial phase in alliance discussions, coming just a day after AIADMK general secretary Edappadi K. Palaniswami met Shah in the national capital. The flurry of high-level meetings is widely seen as an effort by the BJP leadership to streamline seat allocation and ensure cohesion among its Tamil Nadu allies.
Speaking to reporters at Chennai airport before boarding his flight, Dhinakaran downplayed speculation surrounding his visit, stating that it was not exclusively intended for alliance discussions. However, he reaffirmed that the Amma Makkal Munnetra Kazhagam (AMMK) continues to be a part of the NDA and acknowledged that Amit Shah is leading the coalition at the national level.
He also revealed that he had received an invitation from Shah four days ago, suggesting that the meeting had been scheduled in advance.
While Anbumani Ramadoss did not make any public comments before his departure, his visit is considered politically significant.
The Pattali Makkal Katchi (PMK) remains a key player in the NDA, particularly in northern Tamil Nadu, and is expected to play a decisive role in seat-sharing negotiations and campaign strategy.
Meanwhile, Edappadi K. Palaniswami, who returned to Chennai after his meeting with Shah, expressed confidence that the AIADMK-BJP seat-sharing talks would be finalised within the next four days.
Addressing reporters at the New Delhi airport, he described the discussions as smooth and said there were no major hurdles in reaching an agreement.
Palaniswami also indicated that the AIADMK would release its election manifesto within a week, signalling the alliance’s readiness to move into campaign mode.
With multiple NDA allies now engaging directly with the central leadership, political observers expect clarity on constituency allocation and alliance dynamics soon, setting the stage for a closely contested Assembly election in Tamil Nadu.
–IANS
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