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2026 Tamil Nadu Election: After Goyal meet, EPS agrees to seat share for OPS & Dhinakaran

BJP Tamil Nadu election in-charge Piyush Goyal and co-in-charge Arjun Meghwal met AIADMK General Secretary Edappadi Palaniswami in Chennai today. The meeting was attended by Union Minister L. Murugan, BJP state president Nainar Nagendran and senior leaders from both parties. They held consultations on seat sharing, alliance issues, and bringing new parties into the alliance.

AIADMK general secretary Edappadi K Palaniswami and Union Minister Piyush Goyal are now holding discussions about 2026 Assembly elections; BJP State president Nainar Nagenthran, Union Ministers Arjun Ram Meghwal, and L Murugan and senior leaders of AIADMK are present.
AIADMK general secretary Edappadi K Palaniswami and Union Minister Piyush Goyal are now holding discussions about 2026 Assembly elections; BJP State president Nainar Nagenthran, Union Ministers Arjun Ram Meghwal, and L Murugan and senior leaders of AIADMK are present.
| Updated on: Dec 23, 2025 | 06:04 PM

Chennai: In a significant development for the opposition alliance in Tamil Nadu, AIADMK General Secretary Edappadi K. Palaniswami (EPS) has reportedly agreed to accommodate expelled leaders O. Panneerselvam (OPS) and T.T.V. Dhinakaran within the broader National Democratic Alliance (NDA) for the 2026 assembly elections, albeit with firm conditions on their re-entry into the AIADMK itself.

The breakthrough was discussed during a crucial meeting in Chennai between EPS and the newly appointed BJP election in-charge for Tamil Nadu, Union Minister Piyush Goyal. Sources indicate that while EPS categorically ruled out the reinstatement of OPS and Dhinakaran into the AIADMK party fold, he consented to their inclusion under the NDA umbrella with a specific seat allocation.

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AIADMK's NDA Seat Deal: 3 Seats for OPS, 6 for Dhinakaran, 23 for PMK

According to reports, the proposed seat-sharing formula within the alliance includes:

  • 3 constituencies for the faction led by O. Panneerselvam.
  • 6 constituencies for T.T.V. Dhinakaran's Amma Makkal Munnettra Kazhagam (AMMK).
  • 23 constituencies for the Pattali Makkal Katchi (PMK), representing both its founder S. Ramadoss and his son Anbumani Ramadoss. The AIADMK has reportedly taken the responsibility of ensuring the PMK's agreement to this arrangement.

This move signals a strategic consolidation of major opposition forces against the ruling DMK. By bringing OPS and Dhinakaran into the electoral pact, the NDA aims to unite a significant share of the vote base that historically supported the undivided AIADMK. The BJP, leading the NDA's national efforts, is pushing aggressively for a coalition capable of capturing power in the state, as evidenced by the high-level intervention and committee led by Piyush Goyal.

The AIADMK's firm stance against internal reinstatement but openness to an electoral alliance underscores EPS's effort to maintain his undisputed leadership within his party while expanding the coalition's reach. With just four months until the polls, this agreement, if finalized, would reshape the opposition landscape and set the stage for a tightly contested three-way battle involving the DMK-led front and actor Vijay's Tamilaga Vetri Kazhagam (TVK), which has so far remained non-committal toward alliances.

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