BJP Trying to Bring Onboard All its LS Poll Allies in TN

Looking for allies in poll-bound Tamil Nadu, the BJP said it was making efforts to bring together all partners with whom it had contested the 2014 LS elections.
In this file photo, Union Environment Minister Prakash Javadekar. (EPS)
In this file photo, Union Environment Minister Prakash Javadekar. (EPS)

NEW DELHI: Looking for allies in poll-bound Tamil Nadu, the BJP today said it was making efforts to bring together all partners with whom it had contested the 2014 Lok Sabha elections.

"We are trying to bring all parties with whom we had contested Lok Sabha polls together in Tamil Nadu," Union Minister Prakash Javadekar, who is in-charge of party affairs in the state, said.

Reports had it earlier that leaders of the actor Vijayakanth-led DMDK were meeting Javadekar here today which did not materialise.

The BJP high command is worried over the possibility of DMDK going with the DMK-led alliance in the upcoming Tamil Nadu Assembly election.

Vijayakanth, who was with the NDA during the 2014 Lok Sabha elections, is hinting that he may finally go back to the DMK-led alliance to take on the ruling of AIADMK of Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa.

In the 2014 general elections, BJP projected Modi's leadership and built a formidable non-DMK, non-AIADMK alliance that included DMDK of Vijayakanth, Vaiko, the PMK and assorted caste-centric outfits. The NDA bagged over 18 per cent of the voteshare and two of the 39 Lok Sabha seats in the state.

The Congress has already joined the DMK-led alliance.

On the other hand rebel leader GK Vasan is likely to join the AIADMK-led alliance. Most of the smaller parties are likely to go with the DMK-led alliance.

In the 2011 Assembly elections, DMDK had won 28 seats and Vijayakanth became leader of the opposition party. But recently some of his MLA have defected to the AIADMK.

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