The ruling All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam and the Pattali Makkal Katchi in Tamil Nadu signed an alliance on Tuesday ahead of the Lok Sabha elections, The News Minute reported. The state has 39 parliamentary seats.

Tamil Nadu Deputy Chief Minister O Panneerselvam announced that the Pattali Makkal Katchi or PMK would get seven seats in the parliamentary polls. The party will also be allotted one Rajya Sabha seat. In turn, the Pattali Makkal Katchi declared its support to the AIADMK when bye-elections to the 21 seats are held in the state.

Panneerselvam and Pattali Makkal Katchi founder S Ramadoss expressed confidence that the coalition would be a “winning” one. The alliance was sealed at a hotel in Chennai. Ramadoss, his son Anbumani Ramadoss, senior leader GK Mani, Chief Minister Edappadi Palaniswami and Panneerselvam were present.

The Bharatiya Janata Party is also set to finalise an alliance with the ruling AIADMK on Tuesday, according to The Indian Express. Union minister Piyush Goyal is expected to hold talks with AIADMK. Prime Minister Narendra Modi is also expected to be in Tamil Nadu on Tuesday to address public rallies in Tirupur and Kanyakumari.

Goyal, who had visited Chennai on February 14, had met the AIADMK leadership. On the same day, Amit Shah said the BJP would forge a “strong alliance” in Tamil Nadu for the Lok Sabha elections while addressing a rally in Erode.

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