Seat-sharing talks after announcement of polls: TN BJP chief

Seat-sharing talks for the 2021 Tamil Nadu Assembly elections would be held after announcing the poll date, state Bharatiya Janata Party president L Murugan said Monday.

Replying to a question on reports of the BJP demanding 50 seats from the ruling All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam, Murugan said a statement on the continuation of the alliance was made by the party's top leaders O Panneerselvam and Edappadi K Palaniswami two days ago.

The number of seats to be contested would be decided upon after discussions with all the alliance partners, he said.

Murugan, along with Minister of State for External Affairs V Muraleedharan, attended the ground-breaking ceremony for the new BJP office in Chennai at a cost of Rs 1.5 crore.

The two leaders were on their way to attend 'Vel Yatra' in Palani on Monday evening.

With regard to the yatra, Murugan said it would culminate in Tiruchendur on December 5 instead of December 7.

BJP national president J P Nadda is expected to participate in the event.

When referred to the remarks by Tamil Nadu Congress Committee president K S Alagiri that Congress would also join if the yatra was taken with an idol of Lord Muruga, he said Murugan and 'vel' cannot be separated; without Muruga there is no vel and without vel
there is no Muruga.

However, he hastened to add that the vel is to finish 'asuras' (demons) and also the 'anti-Hindu and anti- nationals'.