As Lok Sabha polls are soon approaching, Tamil Nadu’s two major political parties have announced their core committees to engage in seat-sharing talks with alliance parties. The ruling party in Tamil Nadu, the All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK) announced a five-member committee, led by senior leader KP Munusamy, as the Alliance committee. Rajya Sabha MP R Vaithilingam, Electricity Minister P Thangamani, Municipal and Rural Administration Minister SP Velumani and former MLA JCD Prabhakar are the other members of the committee.
The party also announced a seven-member committee to prepare the party’s election manifesto for the upcoming parliamentary elections. The committee will also have senior leader C Ponnaiyyan, Natham R Viswanathan, Fisheries Minister D Jayakumar, Law Minister C Ve Shanmugam, MLA S Semmalai, former MLA PH Manoj Pandiyan and former Rajya Sabha MP AW Rabi Bernard.
கழக ஒருங்கிணைப்பாளர் மாண்புமிகு துணை முதல்வர் திரு. ஓ. பன்னீர்செல்வம், கழக இணை ஒருங்கிணைப்பாளர் மாண்புமிகு முதல்வர் திரு. எடப்பாடி கே. பழனிசாமி ஆகியோரின் முக்கிய அறிவிப்பு. pic.twitter.com/jPauybvDkh
— AIADMK (@AIADMKOfficial) 23 January 2019
On January 20, the main opposition party Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) had also announced its core committee members for the elections.
The eight-member committee for election manifesto will have Rajya Sabha MPs Kanimozhi, senior leader TR Baalu, former MP Subbulakshmi Jagadeesan, senior leader VP Duraisamy, Tiruchi Siva and TKS Elangovan, former minister A Raja, A Ramasamy.
'நாடாளுமன்றத் தேர்தல் - 2019'
— DMK - Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (@arivalayam) 20 January 2019
நாடாளுமன்றத் தேர்தல் அறிக்கை தயாரிக்க குழு மற்றும் கூட்டணி கட்சிகளுடன் பேச்சுவார்த்தை நடத்திடும் குழு
- கழக பொதுச்செயலாளர் பேராசிரியர் அவர்கள் அறிவிப்பு pic.twitter.com/9DnOoATZTG
The party had also announced a six-member committee, led by the party’s Treasurer Duraimurugan, for managing talks with the allies. Rajya Sabha MP RS Bharathi, MLAs KN Nehru, K Ponmudi, I Periyasamy and EV Velu are the members of this committee.
Tamil Nadu is a crucial state as far as Lok Sabha polls are concerned, with 39 seats allotted to the state. Though the BJP announced that their doors are open in Tamil Nadu for any party that wishes to forge an alliance, the DMK ruled out alliance talks and sided with a united front against the BJP. Meanwhile, the AIADMK has not yet announced their decision on the poll alliances.