CHENNAI: With the bitterly fought Lok Sabha elections over and the results declared, the BJP on Sunday warmed up to Chief Minister and AIADMK general secretary J Jayalalithaa. The top brass of the party — Prime Minister designate Narendra Modi and BJP president Rajnath Singh — called Jayalalithaa over the phone and congratulated her for her massive victory in the Lok Sabha elections in Tamil Nadu.
Jayalalithaa’s telephonic conversation with the top two BJP leaders assumes significance at this juncture as the saffron party, which secured enough seats to form the government on its own, needs the support of the AIADMK to pass important bills in the Rajya Sabha where it has a diminished presence.
In his call to the Chief Minister, Modi thanked Jayalalithaa for greeting him on his victory and congratulated her for her remarkable success in the State. The AIADMK chief wished Modi a successful tenure as prime minister. During the conversation, the PM-designate assured Jayalalithaa that there would be absolute cooperation between the Central and State governments. The Chief Minister also greeted Rajnath Singh on his party’s landslide victory in the elections.
On May 16, Jayalalithaa had sent a congratulatory letter to Modi wishing him and the government under his leadership the very best and expressed hope that there would be an era of meaningful cooperation between the Centre and State.