NDA announces seat-sharing pact: Why BJP is the real winner before Tamil Nadu poll battle

NEW DELHI: The National Democratic Alliance on Monday finalised its seat-sharing arrangement for the upcoming Tamil Nadu assembly elections, allocating 27 seats to the Bharatiya Janata Party, 18 to Pattali Makkal Katchi and 11 to Amma Makkal Munnetra Kazhagam for the April 23 polls.Under the agreement, the All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam, which leads the NDA in the state, has made room for its allies in a calibrated distribution aimed at balancing electoral arithmetic with coalition cohesion. PTI reported, “Under NDA electoral pact, AIADMK allots 27 seats to BJP, 18 to PMK, 11 to AMMK for April 23 Assembly polls.” While the BJP is contesting fewer seats compared to the AIADMK, its allocation is seen as strategically significant.In the previous election, the BJP had contested 20 seats and won four, while PMK contested 23 seats and secured five victories.Data from previous elections shows that the BJP’s vote share, though modest at 2.6 per cent, translated into a relatively strong contested vote share of 34.5 per cent, indicating concentrated performance in select constituencies.In contrast, the AIADMK contested 191 seats, winning 66 with a 33.5 per cent vote share and a higher contested vote share of 40.8 per cent, underscoring its dominance within the alliance.PMK recorded a 3.8 per cent vote share and a 37.9 per cent contested vote share.The BJP’s limited but focused seat allocation is expected to maximise its strike rate while leveraging the AIADMK’s broader organisational strength. The arrangement also reflects the party’s attempt to expand its footprint in Tamil Nadu without overextending its resources.The revised seat-sharing formula comes as the NDA looks to optimise its electoral prospects in Tamil Nadu, a state where regional parties have historically dominated the political landscape.