The AIADMK and DMDK today signed a poll pact wherein Vijaykanth's party will contest in four seats in the forthcoming Lok Sabha elections for which the dates were announced today.
The suspense ended this evening with DMDK leader Vijaykanth signing the pact with AIADMK leader Edapaddi K Palaniswami and O Panneerselvam at a private hotel.
"Welcome captain to the front" says a tweet by a senior BJP leader to formally welcome Vijaykanth's party, the DMDK to the AIADMK front in which the BJP is an ally.
The announcement comes after the Election Commissions announced the poll dates to the Lok Sabha elections.
The pact, which was signed after a long deliberation between the two parties, also ended week long suspense whether the DMDK will join the DMK or the AIADMK front.
The DMK declined to entertain DMDK and went ahead by signing a pre-poll pact with the Congress and other smaller parties, and literally shut the door to the Vijaykanth's party. The AIADMK too formed the alliance with the BJP and PMK but kept the doors for the DMDK.
Meanwhile, the bypolls in 18 of the 21 constituencies in Tamil Nadu will be held along with the Lok Sabha elections on Apr 18. However, by-election to Aravakurichi, Tiruparankundram and Ottapidaram constituencies have been excluded due to pending legal cases.