Under the pact, the Pattali Makkal Katchi (PMK) will contest 18 seats, while the Amma Makkal Munnetra Kazhagam (AMMK) has been allocated 11 seats.
The agreement was signed at the AIADMK headquarters in Chennai in the presence of BJP leader Piyush Goyal and AIADMK chief Edappadi K. Palaniswami.
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Leaders of alliance partners, including PMK’s Anbumani Ramadoss and AMMK chief T. T. V. Dhinakaran, were also present during the announcement.
The seat-sharing arrangement was announced by Palaniswami, formalising the distribution among key NDA constituents ahead of the polls, with parties dividing constituencies based on their respective strengths.Also Read: Goyal arrives in Tamil Nadu to discuss seat sharing with AIADMK, confident of NDA winning elections
Talks entered crucial phase before final pact
The announcement comes after days of intense negotiations within the AIADMK-led NDA, with seat-sharing talks entering a crucial phase ahead of the nomination process for the April 23 polls.
Party sources had indicated that the AIADMK, which is leading the alliance, was keen to retain a dominant share of seats—around 160–170 out of the 234 constituencies—to maximise its chances of securing a majority on its own.
A simple majority in the Assembly requires 118 seats, and Palaniswami has set an ambitious target of winning over 200 seats, positioning himself as the chief ministerial face of the alliance.
Seat shares evolve from earlier estimates
Initial discussions had suggested a slightly higher allocation for the BJP and other allies, with the saffron party expected to contest around 30 seats and PMK about 17, while AMMK was likely to get a single-digit tally.
However, the final agreement settled at 27 seats for the BJP, 18 for PMK and 11 for AMMK, reflecting last-minute adjustments among alliance partners.
The negotiations were closely monitored by senior BJP leadership, with Union Home Minister Amit Shah directly involved in discussions with key allies in New Delhi before the pact was sealed.
Alliance dynamics shift from 2021 polls
The current arrangement marks a shift from the 2021 Assembly elections, when the AIADMK contested 179 seats but managed to win only 66, while the BJP contested 20 seats and won four, marking its return to the Assembly after two decades.
The PMK, which had contested 23 seats in 2021 and won five, has since undergone internal changes, with leader Anbumani Ramadoss aligning with the NDA, while a rival faction led by S Ramadoss moved closer to other political formations.
The inclusion of the AMMK, led by Dhinakaran, also adds a new dimension to the alliance arithmetic this time.
