AIADMK-PMK form alliance in Tamil Nadu for Lok Sabha polls

Chennai, Feb 19: After much speculation, the Pattali Makkal Katchi (PMK) has signed an alliance with the Tamil Nadu's ruling AIADMK that constitutes for 17 seats in the upcoming Lok Sabha Elections 2019 due in May. The PMK will contest on six Lok Sabha seats and will be given one Rajya Sabha seat, AIADMK chief and deputy CM O Panneerselvam announced at a press conference with PMK leadership on Tuesday.

In a press conference following talks, Deputy Chief Minister and AIADMK leader O Panneerselvam said, "Pattali Makkal Katchi (PMK) joined our alliance today. Seven seats allotted to PMK for the upcoming Lok Sabha elections 2019. We will fight on 21 seats in by-elections and PMK will support us."

The alliance was sealed on Tuesday at a private hotel in Chennai with PMK founder Dr S Ramadoss, his son and MP Anbumani Ramadoss, senior leader GK Mani and Chief Minister Edappadi Palaniswami and Deputy Chief Minister O Panneerselvam present.

State ministers including S.Velumani, P Thangamani and D Jayakumar are also present for the talks. With the inking of the deal, the PMK will be part of the rainbow coalition led by the AIADMK and that includes the BJP and Vijayakant's DMDK.

Meanwhile, a formal announcement of the BJP-AIADMK-PMK grand alliance is yet to be made.Both DMK and AIADMK had been wooing PMK in the last one month in their efforts to form a rainbow caste coalition for 39 Lok Sabha seats in Tamil Nadu and one in Puducherry.

The sealing of the alliance also comes hours after BJP National President Amit Shah was forced to cancel his visit to Chennai owing to AIADMK's negotiations with the PMK.