Ex-AIADMK ally Sarath Kumar meets MNM's Kamal Haasan to discuss alliance for Assembly poll

All India Samathuva Makkal Katchi founder Sarath Kumar met Makkal Needhi Maiam's (MNM) Kamal Haasan to discuss the possibilities of forming an alliance for the upcoming Tamil Nadu Assembly elections. Previously an AIADMK ally, Sarath Kumar expressed interest in joining hands with Kamal Haasan for the upcoming polls and said that a positive decision regarding the alliance was expected soon. Addressing media persons on Saturday, Sarath Kumar claimed that he had a percentage of vote bank in his favour and announced his decision to move on from the alliance with AIADMK as he received no word from the ruling party thus far. 

All India Samathuva Makkal Katchi's Sarath Kumar, however, said that the talks with MNM were incomplete after meeting Kamal Haasan on Saturday. The actor-turned-politician claimed that his party could do good for the people of the state and vowed to bring a dynamic manifesto. Further, Sarath Kumar appealed to the people to not accept cash for votes, pointing out that the resolve of the public to not accept such bribes could lead to a change. Earlier on Saturday, Sarath Kumar announced an alliance with SRM Group Paarivendhar's Indhiya Jananayaga Katchi. Sarath Kumar, along with his wife Radikaa, also met expelled AIADMK leader VK Sasikala at her residence on Jayalalithaa's birth anniversary.

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As the race to the Tamil Nadu Assembly elections heats up, NDA allies BJP and AIADMK met on Saturday to discuss the seat-sharing ahead of Home Minister Amit Shah's visit to the state on Sunday. BJP leaders, including MoS G Kishan Reddy and state president L Murugan met TN CM Edappadi Palaniswami and Dy CM O Panneerselvam at their respective residences on Saturday to discuss the seat-sharing for the first phase of the Assembly polls. The NDA allies' meeting over seat-sharing comes after the Election Commission revealed the dates of Assembly elections scheduled to be held in April and May in five states - Tamil Nadu, West Bengal, Kerala, Puducherry, and Assam. 

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Meanwhile, the DMK formed a seven-member committee to discuss seat-sharing talks with Congress and other allies. Party General Secretary Duraimurugan said the panel would be headed by Treasurer T.R. Baalu. K.N. Nehru, I. Periyasamy, K. Ponmudi, Subbulakshmi Jagadeesan, Organising Secretary R.S. Bharathi and E.V. Velu would be part of the team, he added. Congress leaders Randeep Surjewala, Oomen Chandy, and Dinesh Gundu Rao met DMK representatives on Friday to negotiate seat-sharing talks and as per reports, Congress raised a demand for 54 seats as opposed to 41 that it contested from in the previous election.

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Tamil Nadu Assembly Elections 2021

The two warring factions in AIADMK - of Deputy CM O Pannerselvam (OPS) and CM E Palaniswamy (EPS), reconciled after the party named incumbent E Palaniswamy as its CM candidate and O Panneerselvam as the chief of the 11-member steering committee. With AIADMK announcing it will continue its national alliance with BJP, the saffron party is yet to officially announce its state-level alliance. Meanwhile, ex-CM Karunanidhi's successor - DMK chief MK Stalin eyes his maiden CM term as DMK cannot afford to lose a third straight Assembly election after sweeping the state in the 2019 Lok Sabha polls with 38 seats. Kamal Haasan's MNM has initiated alliance talks with Arvind Kejriwal's AAP while AIMIM's Owaisi has also expressed interest to fight polls in the southern state. Erstwhile AIADMK ally Samathuva Makkal Katchi, headed by actor R Sarathkumar, joined hands with joins hands with SRM Group Paarivendhar's Indhiya Jananayaga Katchi to fight the upcoming polls.

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