Senior BJP leaders to meet AIADMK chief in Chennai today, talks gain pace

Chennai, Oct 7 (IANS) In a major political development ahead of the 2026 Tamil Nadu Assembly elections, AIADMK General Secretary and Opposition leader Edappadi K. Palaniswami is set to meet senior Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leaders in Chennai on Tuesday to advance alliance talks and seat-sharing negotiations.

The meeting marks a crucial step as the AIADMK-BJP combine works to strengthen its strategy against the ruling DMK.

With the state heading for polls in just a few months, political activity has intensified across Tamil Nadu. Major parties -- including DMK, AIADMK, BJP, Congress, DMDK, VCK, MDMK, PMK, and TMC -- have already begun campaigning.

The AIADMK and BJP have renewed their partnership for the upcoming elections, but the BJP is seeking a larger share of constituencies this time, signalling a more assertive role in the alliance.

To spearhead the campaign and streamline poll preparations, the BJP central leadership has appointed national vice president and MP Baijayant Panda and Union Minister of State Murlidhar Mohol as election in-charges for Tamil Nadu.

The two leaders arrived in Chennai on Monday and immediately held strategy sessions with the BJP’s state leadership at the party headquarters in T. Nagar. The closed-door consultation brought together an extensive line-up of BJP leaders -- state president Nainar Nagendran, Union Minister L. Murugan, national leaders Aravind Menon, Sudhakar Reddy, and organisational secretary Keshava Vinayagam.

Former state presidents Annamalai and Dr Tamilisai Soundararajan, veteran leaders Pon. Radhakrishnan and H. Raja, MLA Vanathi Srinivasan, and actor-politician Sarath Kumar also attended.

Sources said the talks focused on seat-sharing calculations, identifying winnable constituencies, and shaping a joint campaign narrative to take on the DMK.

The BJP is pushing for more seats and a stronger role in shaping the alliance’s election plan. There was also an informal discussion on reuniting former Chief Minister O. Panneerselvam with the AIADMK to consolidate opposition votes, though T.T.V. Dhinakaran’s position outside the bloc remains unchanged.

Tuesday’s meeting between Palaniswami and the BJP’s top election strategists is expected to lay the groundwork for a high-impact campaign, with joint rallies and constituency-level coordination on the agenda.

For the BJP, it is a bid to expand its presence in Tamil Nadu politics; for the AIADMK, an effort to cement a formidable anti-DMK front before the polls.

--IANS

aal/dpb