'AIADMK will decide on number of seats to BJP, other alliance partners'

CHENNAI: Senior AIADMK leader and party's organising secretary D Jayakumar on Sunday said the leadership of the party, which heads the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) in Tamil Nadu, would decide on the seat allocation to its alliance parties ahead of the Lok Sabha polls.

It is quite common that alliance parties would propose the number of seats and list of favourable constituencies ahead of the polls. But it is up to the leadership of the AIADMK that heads the alliance to take a call on it, Jayakumar told addressing the media.

Jayakumar was responding to the union minister of state for fisheries and former president TN BJP L Murugan's remark that the BJP has been focusing in nine constituencies, including Chennai South Constituency, ahead of the Lok Sabha polls.

On Annamalai's remark that BJP is strong in as many as 25 constituencies is in contradiction to Murugan's claim that the party is focussing on 9 seats, Jayakumar said he don't want to comment on other party's internal issues.

Former minister and AIADMK's organising secretary Sellur K Raju said it was too early to talk about seat allocations. Moreover, the BJP was a national party and the statement of state level leaders' views on alliance and seats did not carry any weightage.

"Our party leader (Edappadi K Palaniswami) will hold talks with the national level leaders of the BJP and other alliance parties at appropriate time, " he said.

Murugan, after meeting the party functionaries in Chennai, said they have commenced the preparation for the LS polls. The cadres and functionaries were working dedicatedly to secure victory for the party in the Chennai South constituency in the forthcoming LS polls.

"Our national leadership is focusing on certain number of constituencies for the forthcoming LS polls. Of these, nine in TN. We are in the process of strengthening booth level committees to ensure the victory of the party in these constituencies, " he said.

Political pundits opine that Murugan's remarks on favourable constituencies would be part of the prelude to test the waters.

The statement came close on the heels of BJP leader Amit Shah's comment on alliance with the AIADMK.

He firmly said that the BJP's alliance with the AIADMK was intact, while EPS also endorsed it in the following day.