The Aryavarth Express
Chennai, December 23:
AIADMK General Secretary and former Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Edappadi K Palaniswami (EPS) on Tuesday met Union Minister and BJP’s Tamil Nadu election in-charge Piyush Goyal in Chennai, indicating that talks around a possible National Democratic Alliance (NDA) arrangement ahead of the Tamil Nadu Assembly elections are gathering pace.
Sources said the meeting focused on election preparedness, organisational coordination, and the broader NDA strategy in the state. Seat-sharing between the BJP and the AIADMK is also expected to figure prominently in the ongoing discussions as both parties explore the framework of a potential pre-poll alliance.
Earlier in the day, the BJP’s Tamil Nadu Core Committee held a key meeting at the party’s state headquarters, Kamalalayam, in T. Nagar. The meeting was chaired by Piyush Goyal and attended by BJP co-incharge and Union Minister Arjun Ram Meghwal, along with state BJP president Nainar Nagenthran. Discussions centred on finalising election strategy, assessing organisational readiness, and planning statewide outreach programmes.
Piyush Goyal arrived in Chennai earlier on Tuesday along with Arjun Ram Meghwal, marking the beginning of the BJP’s intensified election preparations in Tamil Nadu. Senior BJP leaders, including Union Minister of State L Murugan, received him at the airport. Murugan said the visit reflected the central leadership’s commitment to strengthening the party’s organisational base in the state.
Speaking to the media, senior BJP leader Tamilisai Soundararajan expressed confidence in the new leadership setup, noting that Goyal had earlier served as the party’s in-charge during the 2019 elections and was well acquainted with Tamil Nadu’s political landscape and alliance dynamics. She said the party cadre was “energised and enthusiastic” about the path ahead.
Reiterating the BJP’s political goal, Soundararajan said the party aimed to defeat the ruling DMK, accusing the state government of pursuing “anti-people” policies and promoting “anti-Hindu” sentiments.
With alliance discussions gaining momentum, the meeting between EPS and Piyush Goyal is being closely watched as both the NDA and the DMK-led front step up preparations for what is expected to be a keenly contested Assembly election in Tamil Nadu.
