Union Minister Piyush Goyal is scheduled to arrive in Chennai on Monday to finalize seat sharing for the upcoming Tamil Nadu Assembly elections, Tamil Nadu CM Nainar Nagenethran said.
Addressing a press conference here, Nagendran said that the party’s election manifesto and details of the alliance will be clarified after high-level discussions with the Union Minister. “Union Minister Piyush Goyal will come to Chennai tomorrow (Monday). After his arrival, we will hold talks and announce seat-sharing details,” Nagenithran said.
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The announcement comes amid escalating verbal clashes between the BJP and the ruling DMK. Responding to Prime Minister M K Stalin’s repeated jibes at Delhi, Nageenthiran claimed that the TDP leadership is “trembling with fear” due to the BJP’s growing footprint.
“I don’t know why the Prime Minister is afraid of Delhi. Whether we hold our meetings in Bengaluru or Delhi, the DMK seems to be in a state of panic,” he pointed out, rejecting allegations that the AIADMK or other parties were working as “slaves” of the national capital.
Defending the Centre’s contribution to the state, the BJP leader highlighted that the Modi government had almost imposed sanctions $14 lakh crore to Tamil Nadu over the last decade.
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He pointed to major infrastructure projects, including $Rs 350 Crore Expansion of Thoothukudi Airport $Trichy Airport Project at a cost of 650 crores, as a demonstration of the Union Government’s commitment to the development of the state.
Nageenthiran also launched a scathing attack on the state government over the prevailing law and order situation, specifically referring to the “ganja threat”. He referred to the confiscation of 22,000 kilograms of panja over the past five years and the recent brutal attack on a schoolgirl in Velathikulam by a convict released on parole.
“The Prime Minister should focus on stopping the spread of drugs and improving public safety rather than the continued obsession with Delhi,” he said.
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On the emergence of a ‘fifth front’ comprising the TKP and Sasikala, the state BJP unit chief downplayed its potential impact, pointing out that in a democracy, anyone is free to create a party or form a front. “The only impact now in Tamil Nadu is the summer heat,” he joked.
Responding to queries on his candidature, the BJP leader expressed confidence in his relationship with Tirunelveli voters, citing his history of securing important states across five Parliamentary terms. He stressed that the party will compete on the basis of developmental principles and the strength of the National Democratic Alliance.
CHENNAI: The ruling DMK has offered five seats to its ally CPI(M) for the upcoming Tamil Nadu Assembly elections, Left party state minister P Shanmugam said on Sunday.
The seat-sharing talks between the DMK and CPI(M), which have been going on for the past 20 days, have seen a new development with DMK chief MK Stalin personally joining the negotiations. “…This is the first time that the Prime Minister (MK Stalin) has participated and asked us to accept the five seats they have offered,” Shanmugam told reporters.
He pointed out that in the 2021 Assembly elections, the two Left parties – CPI and CPI(M) – contested six seats each. “The CPI(M) has demanded a double-digit allocation. With more parties coming to the fore, the DMK said providing more seats is difficult,” the DMK said. The Prime Minister pointed out the restrictions imposed on the expansion of the Secular Progressive Alliance.
Following the DMK’s stand, the CPI (Maoist) State Committee met twice and decided not to insist on more than 6 seats. “Since the current alliance has been strengthened by the arrival of new allies, we have decided not to push for more than 6 seats. Our executive committee has mandated us to secure at least 6 seats that we contested in the 2021 Assembly elections,” he said.
Under these circumstances, the General Secretary of the Communist Party of India (Maoist), MA Baby, attended the State Committee meeting on March 21, where it was decided to push for six seats.
According to Shanmugam, the Prime Minister himself reiterated challenges regarding seat allocation in a grand alliance and urged the CPI(M) to stay ahead while accepting his bid.
The CPI(M) leadership has conveyed that its executive committee will meet soon and will take a final decision. “Since Prime Minister M K Stalin himself made the request, we have informed that the executive committee will meet and take a decision on it,” he said.
When asked if the party would consider leaving the alliance if its demand was not met, he replied, “Why are you asking assumingly? The Marxist Communist Party will not take any such decision.”
