Chennai, 19 March (H.S.):AIADMK General Secretary Edappadi K. Palaniswami (EPS) is set to arrive in New Delhi today as seat-sharing negotiations between the AIADMK and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) reach a decisive stage ahead of the Tamil Nadu Assembly elections.

According to party sources, Palaniswami will depart from Chennai around 10 a.m. and is expected to engage in high-level discussions with senior BJP leaders in the national capital.

He is likely to meet Union Home Minister Amit Shah, with talks expected to focus on finalising the allocation of constituencies between the two alliance partners.

The visit is being seen as a crucial step towards sealing the alliance framework, with both parties aiming to arrive at a mutually agreeable formula that reflects their respective electoral strengths and strategic priorities.

With the Election Commission having already announced the poll schedule, political activity across Tamil Nadu has intensified significantly.

Parties are now racing against time to conclude alliance negotiations and shift focus to full-scale campaigning.

The ruling DMK-led alliance has already gained momentum, completing seat-sharing arrangements with key partners such as the Congress and the Communist Party of India (CPI), while discussions with other allies are nearing completion.

In contrast, the AIADMK–BJP alliance is yet to formally announce its seat-sharing agreement, adding urgency to the ongoing talks.

Sources indicate that both sides are keen to resolve pending differences at the earliest.

Meanwhile, Union Minister and BJP’s Tamil Nadu election in-charge Piyush Goyal is expected to visit Chennai later this week. His visit is likely to further streamline negotiations and coordinate campaign strategies.

Political observers believe the outcome of Palaniswami’s Delhi meetings will play a decisive role in shaping the alliance’s electoral roadmap, with limited time left before campaigning gathers pace.

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Hindusthan Samachar / Arun Lakshman