BJP-DMDK alliance yet to take off in TN

 The much-expected announcement of official poll tie-up between the BJP and the DMDK in Tamil Nadu was not made as talks between the union minister Prakash Javadekar and actor Vijayakanth on Sunday turned out to be damp squib.

Though Prakash termed the meeting with Vijayakanth “fruitful and meaningful”, the BJP said it would able do disclose its poll-related alliance only next week.

“Our meeting with Vijayakanth went well. We will be meeting again next week”, Prakash said. The union minister, who had a one-hour discussion with Vijayakanth at his party office, also said “I will come again after budget. We will tell everything at a suitable time”.

Prakash said that the minutes of the meeting with the DMDK will be informed to the BJP president Amit Shah and the Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday. “After that our party will take its stance”, he said. According to him, NDA partners in Tamil Nadu, would soon come together on one platform to announce their alliance for the forthcoming Assembly elections in the State.

Vijayakanth, who was part of the umbrella alliance led by the BJP-led NDA during the 2014 elections, is keeping silent on the alliance. He also announced that he wanted to be a “King” rather than a “King maker”.

Javadekar who arrived here on Saturday evening, met other NDA partners, such as New Justice Party leader A C Shanmugam and Indiya Makkal Kalvi Munnetra Kazhagam president T Devanathan and discussed poll-related issues.