Stealing a march over arch rival DMK, the ruling AIADMK in Tamil Nadu Tuesday cobbled an alliance with the BJP and the PMK for the Lok Sabha elections, describing it as a "mega and victorious" combine amid indications some more parties are set to be roped in.
As per the understandings reached separately, BJP and PMK would contest five and seven seats respectively out of the total 39 Lok Sabha constituencies at stake in the state, AIADMK Coordinator and Deputy Chief Minister O Panneerselvam announced on a day of fast paced political developments.
Union Minister Piyush Goyal, the BJP election-incharge for Tamil Nadu who led the saffron party in the negotiations, said the alliance would sweep all 40 seats in the state and Puducherry "as a mark of reverence to late chief minister Jayalalithaa."
DMK described the alliance between the PMK and AIADMK as "nothing for the sake of the country or people," but "worried about money."
PMK founder leader S Ramadoss described the coalition as "an alliance for people's welfare, a mega coalition and a victorious alliance."
Goyal said: "I am extremely delighted that today the AIADMK and the BJP have concluded very fruitful discussions and we have agreed to contest the Parliament elections both in Tamil Nadu and Puducherry and the bypolls to 21 assembly seats together in alliance."
Later in the day, Goyal called on DMDK chief Vijayakanth, who recently returned from USA after medical treatment, at the latter's residence and described the meeting as "beyond politics."
The AIADMK won 37 out of 39 seats under the leadership of Jayalalithaa who then went to the people with the slogan of "Tamil Nadu's lady is better than Gujarat's Modi."
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