Tamil Nadu polls: AIADMK gives Kanyakumari LS constituency, 20 MLA seats to BJP

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Chennai: Ahead of the elections in the state, the Bharatiya Janata Party and its ally the ruling AIADMK have settled on a pact where 20 Assembly constituencies and the Kanyakumari Lok Sabha has been allotted to BJP.

Following up with the release of its first list of six candidates for the polls on Friday, the AIADMK firmed up the electoral agreement with BJP late Friday night after several rounds of negotiations, PTI reported.

An release by the AIADMK stated that it pledges full support to BJP candidates in the April 6 polls and the pact was signed by O Panneerselvam and K Palaniswami from the ruling party side and BJP national general secretary, C T Ravi and state unit chief L Murugan.

Out of the 234 assembly seats, the AIADMK is keen to contest from at least 170 seats including 134 it won during the 2016 polls.

The BJP is eyeing the constituencies in the western belt of Tamil Nadu, which has been considered the stronghold of the AIADMK and where the national party is perceived to have pockets of influence.

On Friday, the AIADMK released its first list of six candidates for the upcoming April 6 Assembly elections in Tamil Nadu. 

Tamil Nadu Chief Minister K Palaniswami will contest from Edappadi constituency in his home district of Salem, while Deputy Chief Minister O Panneerselvam will fight from his native place Bodinayakanur in Theni district. 

Aprt from that, Fisheries Minister D Jayakumar has been fielded from Royapuram and Law minister C Ve Shanmugam will contest from Villupuram. While MLAs S P Shanmuganathan and S Thenmozhi would face the polls from Srivaigundam and Nilakottai (Reserved) segments.