Tamil Nadu polls: Under fire for Delhi visits, Edappadi K Palaniswami seals alliance deal at AIADMK headquarters

CHENNAI: For days together, AIADMK general secretary Edappadi K Palaniswami faced criticism from political opponents for visiting New Delhi to hold alliance talks with Union home minister Amit Shah. On Monday, he sought to put an end to the criticism that AIADMK was `subservient' to BJP, by bringing all the alliance leaders to AIADMK headquarters where the seat sharing talks were finalised.

In addition to Union minister and BJP's Tamil Nadu incharge, Piyush Goyal and PMK president Anbumani Ramadoss, EPS managed to bring AMMK general secretary TTV Dhinakaran too to MGR Maaligai, the party headquarters at Royapettah in Chennai. The last time TTV visited the headquarters was in 2017 when he fallout with EPS. The finalisation of the deal in AIADMK headquarters was a symbolic gesture to convey that AIADMk was the head of the alliance in TN and EPS was its leader.

AIADMK functionaries said they were not aware of the plan till Monday morning. "In the morning we were asked us to assemble at the party office by 11 am,'' a member of the AIADMK seat-sharing committee told TOI. Senior party functionaries started gathering at the party office.

Around 2.10, EPS arrived amidst sloganeering by partymen. Within the next hour, Goyal, BJP state president Nainar Nagenthran along with Tamilisai SOundararajan and L Murugan reached the place. In a shortwhile, Anbumani also came.

AMMK sources said Dhinakaran was initially reluctant to visit the office. A senior AMMK leader said Dhinakaran was scheduled to meet Goyal at a city hotel at 1 pm. However, BJP leaders managed to convince him. As senior leaders of the alliance parties reached the AIADMk headquarters, Dhinakaran too joined them.

``Our Delhi visits were to discuss the political situation and devise strategies. But Stalin criticised those visits as he was scared everytime we went to Delhi,'' EPS said at a press meet after finalising the deal.

AIADMK men say that this was a strategic move by EPS to counter the criticism that BJP was overshadowing AIADMK in alliance decisions. EPS explained to the BJP leadership the need for finalising the deal in AIADMK office. Once the BJP agreed, other allies were also requested to visit the AIADMK office. While signing of electoral deals were done at party headquarters during J Jayalalithaa's period, in 2019 and 2021 elections, AIADMK and BJP completed such formalities at city hotels.