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Updated: Jan 15, 2019 00:06 IST

The All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK) is preparing to contest all 39 Lok Sabha seats in Tamil Nadu and the lone seat in neighbouring Puducherry, senior party leader and cooperation minister Sellur K Raju said on Monday. His comments come two days after chief minister Edappadi K Palaniswami’s (EPS) assertion that the party would not join hands with those who betrayed the interests of Tamil Nadu.

On January 10, Prime Minister Narendra Modi, while speaking to party workers from Tamil Nadu over video conference said the BJP’s “door is always open for alliances”.

The open-ended remark is believed to have offended some in the AIADMK which has for long supported the BJP in key legislations in the Lok Sabha.

On January 11, seemingly in response to this comment, the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam’s chief MK Stalin said his party would never partner with the BJP.

As for the AIADMK, Raju’s view has support. People familiar with the matter say a vocal section within the party led by Lok Sabha deputy speaker M Thambidurai opposes any electoral pact with the BJP.

Raju said neither the Congress nor the BJP could come to power in Tamil Nadu.

“State BJP chief Tamilisai Sounderrarajan should stop criticising our government; her party should direct its energies to poll more than NOTA (votes) in the coming elections,” Kadambur Raju had told the media on Friday.

Reacting to the ministers comments, Tamilisai, put up a brave face saying, the BJP would form a formidable alliance and that the people of Tamil Nadu would not let the party down.

Meanwhile, Tamil Nadu deputy chief minister O Panneerselvam, seen to be pro-BJP, was non-commital on the question of an alliance. “Once the election dates are announced, we will announce our decision...,” OPS told the media in Madurai. “Anything may happen after the election dates are announced,” he said.

Political analysts say the AIADMK’s bravado may well have to do with creating a strong bargaining position in seat-sharing talks.