Chennai: The BJP appears to have succeeded in wooing two of its former allies and a formal announcement on firming up electoral ties with PMK and MDMK is likely to be announced soon. The saffron party is not keen on winning to its side the DMK to face the 2014 Lok Sabha elections.
The ruling AIADMK has already announced to go it alone and commenced the poll work. While DMK is yet to make any progress, Congress, dazed by its dismal performance in the five state Assembly elections, has not made any move.
The resurrection of the NDA here, and the Modi wave prevailing across the country, party seniors feel, would salvage the image of the Tamil Nadu BJP so as to win considerable number of seats to strengthen the hands of Modi.
The BJP leadership, according to sources in the party here, has shot down Tamil Nadu unit’s proposal to revive poll ties with the DMK for two reasons. The 2G spectrum scam is still haunting DMK and is hanging like a Damocles’ sword and the BJP central leadership does not wish to risk marring its prospects at the hustings by forging an alliance with that party.
Secondly, it does not want to do anything that might sour the prime ministerial candidate Narendra Modi’s relations with AIADMK supremo and chief minister J. Jayalalithaa.
The party’s parliamentary board which met in New Delhi on Friday decided to align with MDMK and PMK.
Party president Rajnath Singh will meet Vaiko and Dr S. Ramdoss at the national capital next week to firm up the alliance. Efforts are also on to woo Vijayakanth’s DMDK into the NDA fold, according to party sources.
The sudden development in DMDK over the resignation of party senior and deputy leader of the opposition Panruti S. Ramachandran has slowed the process of negotiations and the saffron party is awaiting a green signal from Vijayakanth for a poll tie-up.
