Palaniswami has no right to comment on DMK front’s seat-sharing: Minister Sivasankar

Minister S.S. Sivasankar criticises Edappadi K. Palaniswami's comments on DMK's seat-sharing, highlighting AIADMK's dependence on BJP.

DMK second line leader and State Transport Minister S.S. Sivasankar, on Thursday (March 26, 2026), said AIADMK general secretary Edappadi K. Palaniswami has no right to comment on the seat-sharing arrangements among the constituents of the DMK-led Secular Progressive Alliance (SPA).

Speaking to reporters in Chennai, Mr. Sivasankar questioned why Mr. Palaniswami visited New Delhi and met BJP leader and Union Home Minister Amit Shah before announcing the number of seats and the constituencies allotted to the AIADMK’s allies.

He said not only Mr. Palaniswami, but also leaders of alliance partners visited New Delhi to discuss seat-sharing and resolve differences, “as they consider the BJP to be the leader of the alliance and Mr. Shah is the one who takes decisions.”

According to him, Mr. Palaniswami would meet the same fate as Janata Dal (United) leader Nitish Kumar in Bihar [who has said he would resign as Chief Minister], and that the AIADMK would suffer a similar outcome to what happened to the Shiv Sena and the Nationalist Congress Party [both suffered split in ranks] in Maharashtra.

Terming the BJP as a party “which was once below NOTA,” he said that by allowing the Tamil Maanila Congress (Moopanar) and a few other parties to contest on the BJP’s ‘Lotus’ symbol, the AIADMK had given greater importance to the BJP by allocating it more seats.

“At a time when the situation in the NDA is like this, Mr. Palaniswami has no right to criticise the seat-sharing among the alliance partners of the DMK,” Mr. Sivasankar said, adding if the AIADMK calls itself a Dravidian party, it should ensure the self-respect of its party workers.