Senior BJP leader LK Advani and Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa on Thursday criticised the Congress for handling the matters relating to the Presidential elections in a clumsy manner.
“I have never seen any earlier government handling an important election like Presidential election so clumsily and in such a manner that the situation gets worsened day-by-day,” said Advani after holding discussions with the AIADMK chief at the Secretariat here.
“But, so far as we are concerned, we are conscious that the Congress and the UPA have not been able to create a consensus on the presidential candidate even within its own camp,” he said.
Later, Jayalalithaa answering queries of mediapersons, said “It is true that the Presidential elections are being handled in a clumsy manner. The events that happened yesterday show that it was botched very badly.”
She refused to comment on the candidates proposed by West Bengal Chief Minister Mamta Bannerjee and Samajwadi Party chief Mulayam Singh Yadav.
“I don’t want to indulge in any kind of speculation. So far, no party has come out with a firm name. So, when I have something interesting, I shall tell you,” said Jayalalithaa.
Advani’s meeting with Jayalalithaa came a day after Mamata Bannerjee and Mulayam Singh Yadav broke ranks with the UPA and announced three candidates they said they would be willing to back.
The latest round of discussions between the two also comes after Jayalalithaa’s telephonic conversation with Advani, seeking support for former Lok Sabha Speaker PA Sangma, whose name Jayalalithaa and BJD chief Naveen Patnaik had proposed last month.
Advani, who a few months ago had called Jayalalithaa a “natural ally”, refused to comment on which candidates he had discussed with the AIADMK leader, but hinted that the two parties may stand together on the issue. Advani said the way forward for the BJP, its NDA allies and other players would be decided after the meeting of the NDA partners on Friday.