Chennai, Feb 24 (IANS) The Tamil Nadu unit of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Tuesday formally submitted a list of 72 Assembly constituencies to the AIADMK as part of seat-sharing discussions for the upcoming Tamil Nadu Assembly elections.

According to sources, the BJP has expressed interest in directly contesting between 30 and 35 of these seats under the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) arrangement.

The list was handed over to AIADMK general secretary Edappadi K. Palaniswami by BJP State president Nainar Nagenthran and Union Minister and the party’s election in-charge for Tamil Nadu, Piyush Goyal, during a meeting held in Chennai.

The AIADMK is a key constituent of the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance in Tamil Nadu, with the alliance having been reaffirmed ahead of the 2026 Assembly elections.

With the polls drawing closer, both major fronts in the State have intensified seat-sharing negotiations. While discussions within the DMK-led alliance are said to be progressing steadily, the NDA has now formally initiated its internal allocation process.

Sources indicated that the BJP’s wish list includes prominent urban constituencies in Chennai such as Thousand Lights, T. Nagar, and Velachery. In neighbouring districts, the party has sought seats, including Tiruttani and Avadi in Tiruvallur district, and Kancheepuram and Thalli.

The list reportedly also features constituencies such as Alangulam and Tenkasi in the southern belt.

Also, the BJP is believed to have shown interest in contesting seats such as Tiruvannamalai, Singanallur, Aravakurichi, Palani, Vilavancode, and Nagercoil, where it expects to secure significant vote shares based on its recent electoral performance and organisational presence.

Party insiders suggest that the BJP’s demand for 30–35 seats reflects its ambition to expand its footprint in Tamil Nadu, particularly in regions where it has made incremental gains in recent elections.

The final allocation, however, will depend on negotiations with the AIADMK leadership and the overall alliance strategy.

With both the DMK-led alliance and the NDA accelerating preparations, the coming days are expected to witness intense bargaining and strategic calculations as Tamil Nadu gears up for a high-stakes electoral battle in 2026.

–IANS

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