The Pattali Makkal Katchi (PMK) would be a part of the AIADMK-led alliance in the coming Lok Sabha elections, contesting in seven constituencies, AIADMK coordinator and Deputy Chief Minister O. Panneerselvam announced on Tuesday. It would also get a Rajya Sabha seat, he added.

The PMK had been critical of both the AIADMK and the BJP in the recent past.

“In the upcoming 2019 Lok Sabha elections, the AIADMK and the PMK will contest together in a ‘mega, winning’ alliance in Tamil Nadu and Pudhucherry,'' Mr. Panneerselvam said at a five-star hotel in Chennai.

The announcement comes after several days of speculation in the media over the PMK's stand in the coming Lok Sabha polls.

Support to AIADMK in 22 Assembly bypolls too

The PMK would also extend its support to the AIADMK alliance in the coming bypolls to 21 Assembly constituencies, Mr. Panneerselvam said.

PMK founder Dr. Ramadoss said the details of the constituencies in which the PMK would contest would be made at a later date.

“It is a victorious alliance, mega alliance. The reasons why we decided to ally with the AIADMK will be explained by Anbumani Ramadoss. We have placed 10 conditions/demands for the alliance with the AIADMK,” said Dr. Ramadoss.

10 demands

The PMK chief read out his party's 10 conditions/demands placed before alliance leader AIADMK for ‘people’s welfare’. The demands that had been raised by it earlier include declaring the delta regions as ‘protected agricultural zones, implementing alcohol prohibition, conducting caste-based census in the State, releasing immediately seven Tamils convicted in the Rajiv Gandhi assassination case, shutting down the sand-mining quarries, reverting to the old pension scheme for State government employees and removing NEET (National Eligibility cum Entrance Test) for medical aspirants from Tamil Nadu.

Just as reporters began raising questions about the PMK’s severe criticism in the past of the AIADMK government, Dr. Ramadoss decided to wind up the press meet and leave.