Lok Sabha Elections 2024: The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Tuesday (March 19) finalised seat-sharing deal with the Dr S Ramadoss-headed Pattali Makkal Katchi (PMK) in Tamil Nadu for the Lok Sabha elections in the state next month. The BJP has allotted 10 seats to the regional party. The development comes a day after the PMK, a potent political force in northern Tamil Nadu, decided to join the BJP-led NDA. The move came as a setback for the AIADMK, the principal opposition party, which was anticipating an alliance with the PMK.
Earlier this morning, BJP state president K Annamalai and PMK founder Ramadoss held a meeting at the latter’s Thailapuram residence and signed the pact.
The PMK is a Vanniyar community-dominated party and has significant influence in some of the northern districts of the state.
What did Annamalai say?
According to the understanding between the two parties, "PMK will fight from 10 seats in Tamil Nadu in the NDA," Annamalai later told reporters in a joint press briefing with PMK President and Rajya Sabha MP Dr Anbumani Ramadoss.
Both leaders insisted that the PMK has been in the NDA for the past 10 years, fighting the 2014 and 2019 Lok Sabha polls as a constituent of the BJP-led bloc.
Annamalai heaped praises on Ramadoss, saying he wanted to implement "revolutionary" ideas for the benefit of the society which Prime Minister Narendra Modi was doing presently.
Union Minister L Murugan was present during the meeting between the top leaders of the two parties.
Ramadoss could join PM Modi at a rally slated later in nearby Salem district on Tuesday.
(With PTI inputs)
