PM Modi to address massive NDA rally in Trichy; seat talks on hold

NDA Seat-Sharing Talks Await Poll Schedule

BJP Tamil Nadu State President Nainar Nagendran on Monday said that seat-sharing negotiations within the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) have not yet commenced and would take place only after the announcement of the election schedule.

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PM Modi to Address Massive Trichy Rally

A massive public meeting of the National Democratic Alliance is scheduled to be held in Tiruchirappalli on March 11, in which Prime Minister Narendra Modi is expected to participate. Ahead of the event, Nainar Nagendran, along with former Minister C Vijayabaskar, visited Tiruchirappalli to inspect and finalise the venue for the public meeting. They examined a private land parcel in Panjappur and later inspected the G Corner Ground in the city.

Speaking to reporters after the inspection, Nagendran said, "NDA public meeting in Tiruchirappalli would be conducted on the scale of a major conference, with participation expected to exceed five lakh people."

He stated that the meeting would be held at either the private site in Panjappur or the G Corner Ground, based on final arrangements. On alliance matters, he clarified that the seat-sharing discussions within the NDA have not yet begun and would be taken up only after the Election Commission announces the poll dates.

Responding to questions about AIADMK General Secretary Edappadi K Palaniswami's travelling to New Delhi to meet Union Home Minister Amit Shah, Nagendran said, "The purpose of the meeting was known only to the two leaders." When asked whether the Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK) would join the NDA alliance, he said the question should be directed to the party concerned.

Congress-DMK Talks 'Smooth'

Meanwhile, Tamil Nadu Congress president K Selvaperunthagai on Monday clarified that a settlement between Congress and Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) about seat sharing would be reached after negotiation, adding that there's no confusion between the two parties.

"Negotiations take place in every election, and each party will demand more seats, and a settlement will eventually be reached. The same will happen here. We're asking for a few more seats, and a settlement will be reached," he said.

"The DMK and Congress, the INDIA Bloc Alliance, is a natural alliance, an ideological alliance. Where's the disagreement? In every election, all parties, even smaller ones, demand more seats. We'll ask for whatever we need. Our Chief Minister, Stalin, will certainly consider it. There's no problem; everything is running smoothly," he added.

The 234-member Tamil Nadu Assembly will go to the polls in the first half of 2026, where the MK Stalin-led alliance will look to project the 'Dravidian Model 2.0' for the win against the BJP-AIADMK alliance. (ANI)