AIADMK Finalises Seat Deal with Allies, Own Share Yet to Be Announced

Chennai, March 2026 : The All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK) on Monday unveiled its seat-sharing arrangement with key allies for the upcoming Tamil Nadu Assembly elections, bringing partial clarity to weeks of negotiations within the National Democratic Alliance (NDA). However, the party has not yet disclosed the number of constituencies it will contest, leaving a crucial aspect unresolved.

The announcement followed the arrival of Union Minister Piyush Goyal, who is overseeing the BJP’s election strategy in Tamil Nadu and played a key role in concluding the final round of discussions.

Addressing a joint press conference, alliance leaders confirmed that the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) will contest 27 seats, while the Pattali Makkal Katchi (PMK) has been allocated 18 seats. The Amma Makkal Munnetra Kazhagam (AMMK), led by T.T.V. Dhinakaran, will contest 11 seats.

Despite finalising allocations for allies, the AIADMK has kept its own seat share undisclosed. Party insiders indicated that internal discussions are ongoing as leaders attempt to balance accommodating allies with protecting the party’s core constituencies and electoral strength.

Negotiations within the NDA had recently hit a hurdle, particularly over the BJP’s initial demand for more than 50 seats, including key urban constituencies such as T Nagar in Chennai. The AIADMK resisted these demands, maintaining that conceding too many seats would weaken its position in the elections.

To break the deadlock, AIADMK General Secretary Edappadi K. Palaniswami travelled to New Delhi last week, where he held discussions with Union Home Minister Amit Shah. Parallel consultations were also held with senior leaders from alliance partners, including PMK leader Anbumani Ramadoss and AMMK chief Dhinakaran, to arrive at a consensus.

Meanwhile, the ruling Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) is also advancing its alliance strategy. It has already finalised seat-sharing with the Congress, allocating 28 constituencies, and with the CPI, which has been given five seats. Talks are continuing with other partners such as the CPM and DMDK as part of the Secular Progressive Alliance.

However, fresh challenges have emerged for the DMK as the Congress has reportedly submitted a list of 39 preferred constituencies, many located in Chennai, complicating negotiations.

The ongoing developments highlight the complex bargaining and strategic calculations within both major alliances as they prepare for a high-stakes electoral battle in Tamil Nadu.