Leaders of the NDA finalise the seat-sharing arrangement for the 2026 Tamil Nadu Assembly elections at the AIADMK headquarters in Chennai
| Photo Credit: J. Johan Sathyadas
The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), one of the key constituents of the AIADMK-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA) in Tamil Nadu, has been allocated 27 seats for the Assembly election, seven higher than in 2021.
The Pattali Makkal Katchi (PMK) has been allotted 18 assembly constituencies, five less than what it contested five years ago. The reduction in the number of seats for the PMK is attributed to the perception that it does not enjoy as much strength as it did a few years ago, as former Union Minister Anbumani Ramadoss and his father and PMK founder S. Ramadoss are heading their own factions. Dr. Anbumani’s PMK is part of the NDA.
Headed by T.T.V. Dhinakaran, the Amma Makkal Munnetra Kazhagam (AMMK), a breakaway group of the AIADMK, has got 11 seats.
Announcing the seat-sharing arrangement at the AIADMK headquarters in Chennai for the NDA’s three parties in the presence of Union Minister and the BJP’s point person Piyush Goyal, Mr. Dhinakaran, Dr. Anbumani, and a host of other leaders, the Dravidian major’s general secretary Edappadi K. Palaniswami told the media on Monday (March 23, 2026) that talks were in progress with some more parties [such as the Tamil Maanila Congress (Moopanar)] and the details of allocation of the seats would be announced shortly.
Though Tamizhaga Makkal Munnetra Kazhagam (TMMK)’s founder John Pandian was also present at the media briefing, Mr. Palaniswami did not mention what had been decided for the TMMK.
In the 2021 Assembly election, the BJP won four seats with a vote share of 2.62% and the PMK, five seats with 3.8%. Then too, the two were part of the AIADMK-led front. The AMMK, which contested separately and joined hands with the Desiya Murpokku Dravida Kazhagam (DMDK), cornered 2.35% vote share in 165 constituencies.
Two years ago, during the Lok Sabha election, the BJP headed the NDA, wherein it garnered 11.26% vote share. Its allies, the PMK and AMMK, got 4.3% and 0.9% respectively. The Dravidian major, which had its own coalition with the DMDK, faced the electorate independently. In the 2024 poll, none of these parties obtained any seat.
A senior functionary of the AIADMK said his party would contest in about 170 seats.
Published – March 23, 2026 06:50 pm IST
