BJP pushes for 45 seats in AIADMK alliance as Tamil Nadu Assembly polls nears

Chennai: With just five months left for the Tamil Nadu Assembly elections, political parties across the state are gearing up, and the alliance negotiations, candidate selection, and district-level organisational restructuring are all underway. In this backdrop, the BJP — a key partner in the AIADMK alliance — has decided to demand a significantly higher number of seats this time.

In the 2021 Assembly election, the BJP contested as part of the AIADMK-led coalition. Back then, the AIADMK fielded candidates in 179 seats, while its allies, PMK, contested 23 seats, the BJP 20 seats, the TMC six seats, and six other smaller parties received one seat each.

The alliance won 75 seats in total: AIADMK secured 66, the PMK won five, and the BJP won four. Ahead of the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, however, the BJP walked out of the AIADMK alliance and formed its own front, bringing the PMK under its fold.

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The AIADMK too formed a separate coalition. In that parliamentary election, although the BJP did not win a single seat in Tamil Nadu, its performance surprised many — it overtook the AIADMK and finished second in several constituencies.

Across the state, the BJP emerged as the runner-up in 39 Lok Sabha segments and, notably, in as many as 81 Assembly segments.

Sources said the BJP has now shortlisted seats where its second-place performance was strong, and from that list, it plans to demand 45 seats from the AIADMK — more than double what it contested last time. But the AIADMK leadership is reportedly firm that it can offer only around 20 seats, similar to the previous arrangement.

Following internal deliberations, the party is said to have indicated a marginal increase — up to 24 seats — but the BJP is adamant that the number cannot be reduced from 45.

The AIADMK has also conveyed to the BJP that final decisions will depend on whether other parties, such as the PMK (led by Anbumani Ramadoss) and the DMDK, join the alliance. Their seat expectations, too, will have to be accommodated within the coalition framework.

“Everyone has seen the BJP’s progress in the last parliamentary election. We finished second in 81 Assembly segments. The AIADMK leadership is aware of this. Asking for more seats is only logical,” a senior BJP leader said.

The AIADMK is expected to finalise its alliance structure and announce the seat-sharing agreement around the Pongal festival in January.