Chennai, March 19 (IANS) AIADMK General Secretary Edappadi K. Palaniswami (EPS) will reach New Delhi on Thursday as crucial seat-sharing talks between the AIADMK and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) enter their final phase ahead of the Tamil Nadu Assembly elections.

According to sources, Palaniswami will leave for Delhi from Chennai around 10 a.m. and is expected to hold high-level discussions with senior BJP leadership in the national capital.

He is likely to meet Union Home Minister Amit Shah to negotiate the allocation of constituencies between the two alliance partners. The visit is being viewed as a decisive step toward finalising the alliance framework.

With the Election Commission having announced the poll schedule, political activity across Tamil Nadu has intensified. Parties are now working on a war footing to conclude alliance negotiations and begin full-fledged campaigning.

The ruling DMK has already made significant progress, completing seat-sharing arrangements with key allies such as the Congress and the CPI, while talks with other partners are nearing closure.

In contrast, the AIADMK-BJP alliance is yet to officially announce its seat-sharing formula, making the Delhi visit politically significant. Both parties are understood to be working towards a mutually acceptable arrangement that reflects their respective strengths and electoral priorities.

Meanwhile, Union Minister and BJP’s Tamil Nadu election in-charge Piyush Goyal is likely to visit Chennai later this week. His visit is likely to focus on resolving remaining differences, including finalising constituencies and coordinating campaign strategies.

Political observers say the outcome of Palaniswami’s meetings in Delhi will play a key role in shaping the AIADMK-BJP alliance’s electoral prospects.

With limited time left before campaigning gathers momentum, both parties are under pressure to conclude talks quickly.

All eyes are now on the discussions in the national capital, which are expected to determine the final contours of the AIADMK-BJP alliance for the upcoming Assembly elections.

–IANS

aal/dpb