"It is a strong alliance" : Tamil Nadu BJP chief K Annamalai after seat-sharing deal with PMK

Thailapuram (Tamil Nadu) [India], March 19 (ANI): After Tamil Nadu BJP President K Annamalai and Pattali Makkal Katchi (PMK) President Anbumani Ramadoss signed a seat-sharing agreement in Thailapuram, K Annamalai said that it is a strong alliance.
"It is a strong alliance. The political scenario has changed due to the decision taken by the PMK to align with the BJP-led NDA. We came to Thailapuram from Coimbatore overnight. Both leaders Ramadoss and Anbumani Ramadoss will be taking part in the public meeting in Selam today where PM Modi will deliver his speech." said Tamil Nadu BJP chief K Annamalai.
Meanwhile, PMK President Anbumani Ramadoss said that PM Modi will definitely become the Prime Minister for the third time in India and take India to greater heights.
"For the last ten years PMK has been part of the NDA in Delhi. Today, PMK has decided to join the NDA in Tamil Nadu and an agreement was signed. We are happy that we have joined the NDA in Tamil Nadu for a change. The last 57-58 years have seen that the parties have ruled and ruined Tamil Nadu." said PMK President Anbumani Ramadoss.
"People want a change and we want a change. PM Modi will definitely become the Prime Minister for the third time in India and take India to greater heights. PMK has been allotted ten parliamentary constituencies in Tamil Nadu and we are confident that we will have a great victory in the coming elections in Tamil Nadu as well as India." added PMK President Anbumani Ramadoss.
PMK contested 23 seats in the AIADMK alliance in the 2021 Tamil Nadu Legislative Assembly election and won five seats by securing 4.04 per cent.
During the 2019 general elections, the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam-led Secular Progressive Alliance, which comprised INC, VCK, MDMK, CPI, CPI(M), IUML, MMK, KMDK, TVK, AIFB, registered a landslide victory by winning 38 of the 39 seats.
In 2019, the DMK won 23 Lok Sabha seats with 33.2 per cent vote share, Congress bagged 8 seats with 12.9 per cent vote and CPI won 2 seats in Tamil Nadu. CPI(M) got a seat, IML won 1 seat and independents were elected on 2 seats.
The PMK, a political party that mostly represents the Vanniyar minority in Tamil Nadu, was the second main alliance partner of the BJP in the Lok Sabha election 2019, which contested on seven alliance seats. With a vote percentage of 5.42 per cent, it was unable to secure even one seat in the polls.
The PMK had a slight increase in vote share to 5.42 per cent over seven seats in 2014, up from 4.4 per cent for eight seats. Anbumani Ramadoss is currently a Rajya Sabha member having being elected unopposed in 2019.
Tamil Nadu BJP President Annamalai and the PMK president will be meeting at PMK founder Ramadoss' house to decide on the contours of the seat-sharing agreement, party sources said. Following this, PMK leaders are expected to attend Prime Minister Narendra Modi's public meeting at Salem.
The names of the PMK candidates will then be announced by PMK founder Ramadoss on Wednesday.
"PMK decided to ally with the BJP. Regarding constituencies and candidates, PMK founder Ramadoss will make an announcement the day after tomorrow," PMK General Secretary Vadivel Ravanan said.
The BJP is without a major alliance partner in Tamil Nadu and PM Modi has already made five visits to Tamil Nadu this year ahead of the Lok Sabha election. The state will see voting on all 39 Lok Sabha seats in Phase 1 on April 19.
The Election Commission on March 16 announced the schedule for the 2024 Lok Sabha elections. The polling will be conducted in seven phases across the nation from April 19 to June 1. Votes will be counted on June 4. (ANI)