AIADMK cadre urge leaders to limit seats for allies

The AIADMK district secretaries, who will be spending for the elections, have urged the party high command to follow the DMK strategy under which the alliance parties should be given minimal seats. A few MLAs have also opined to OPS and EPS not to voluntarily approach small parties like the DMDK. However, some of them have also expressed reservation against BJP’s high handedness and demand for more seats, said an AIADMK senior. However, the AIADMK big wigs had no such reservations against the PMK, which fought the 2019 Lok Sabha polls in their alliance.

“BJP and Congress are minor parties we want to treat the BJP like how the DMK treats its ally Congress. We have told the party high command that giving about 40 to 50 Assembly seats to BJP means conceding to DMK, which plans to contest in about 180 seats,” the senior said. The BJP is ambitious at the cost of AIADMK, 40 to 50 seats means an expenditure of 400 crores for the ruling party and these seats will be easier for the DMK to perform, the AIADMK leader said.

“During the 2019 Lok Sabha elections, the AIADMK gave five parliamentary seats and politically this translates into around 30 Assembly seats. Today, the BJP led by president L Murugan has gained in Tamil Nadu. More cadres and influence makers have joined the saffron unit and we will certainly ask for about 60 Assembly seats,” opined GK Nagaraj, BJP state farmers wing president.

Further, the Bihar polls result is a boost for the BJP and the farmers have voted in large numbers for the party. Similarly, the AIADMK – BJP alliance will certainly create an electoral impact against the DMK. The BJP is in a strong position than the Congress, so AIADMK should be generous with its ally, Nagaraj said.

“It is a fact that the national parties are minor players in Tamil Nadu. Any party whether it is DMK or AIADMK giving more seats to the national parties will pay a heavy price in the upcoming polls,” opined political commentator R Mani. For the past three decades, the state had mostly voted for the regional parties, he noted.