JOIN USBJP unlikely to tie up with DMK
Despite overtures by DMK chief M Karunanidhi, who described Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi as his friend, the BJP is unlikely to have any electoral alliance with the regional party from Tamil Nadu.
Highly placed BJP sources said the DMK is even willing to sacrifice 2G scam accused A Raja to ward off the corruption taint to come aboard the NDA, but the leading opposition party is not inclined so far, given the fact that the alliance would be contrary to their anti-corruption plank.
In an interview to a regional newspaper, Karunanidhi had said, “Modi’s hectic campaign reveals he is a hard worker. He is my good friend too. My personal opinion is that Modi is a good person and has proved his capabilities as an administrator in Gujarat where the people elected him repeatedly.”
The DMK chief’s statement was seen as a U-turn of another “secularist”, after LJP president Ramvilas Paswan, who came back to the NDA fold after quitting Atal Bihari Vajpayee’s cabinet following the 2002 Gujarat riots. Incidentally, Paswan too has praised Modi, and said he would work to ensure that he becomes the prime minister.
The BJP is also not interested in the DMK since the regional outfit is unlikely to perform better in the Lok Sabha elections; poll surveys say Tamil Nadu Chief Minister J Jayalalitha’s AIADMK is expected to emerge as the single largest party in the state. Other than that, the tussle within the Karunanidhi family is expected to weigh against the Dravidian party.
After tying up with the MDMK, BJP president Rajnath Singh, who is personally supervising the move to induct more parties into the NDA to shed the myth that Modi is politically “untouchable”, has directed state leaders to seal alliances with the PMK and actor Vijayakanth's DMDK.
The BJP has had several rounds of meeting with the DMDK to sort out differences on seat sharing in the general elections. At the same time, the party is also trying to stitch a relationship with the PMK.