Tamil Nadu BJP keen on wooing old friends

Chennai: The BJP’s impressive pe­r­­formance in the four As­­­s­embly elections in the North has brighten­ed the prospects of the state unit here in seeking new electoral allies while attempting to rev­ive ties with ‘old friends’.

Though party seniors maintain on record that all like-minded political parties keen on ensuring good governance under Prime Ministerial candidate Narendra Modi’s leadership should rally behind the BJP, insiders say that the saffron par­ty is wooing the DMDK, among other parties, to strengthen its stock in the state.

“The DMDK leadership was receptive to our off­er of fighting the 2014 Lok Sabha elections tog­ether. Other parties, like the PMK and MDMK, have approached us,” a senior leader said on the prospects of forging poll alliances in the state.

He, however, said that parleys were still on and a concrete picture would emerge soon. “The situation has changed after Modi was made the pri­me ministerial candidate and the spectacular victory in the north. Many parties now want to align with the BJP,” another senior leader said, adding that a final decision on forging electoral ties would be made by the party high command.

At the party’s recent executive meet in Para­makudi two senior leaders had expressed that the saffron party elicit the support of the DMK while many other leaders wanted to align with the AIADMK.

“Can we have two prime ministerial candidates in one camp? Nevertheless, the Assembly election resu­lts have raised the hope of BJP’s winning pro­spects and several parties are likely to join our camp,” said L. Ganesan, national executive member.

“It is very clear now. It will be a total rout of the Congress. At the national level, the BJP, under Modi will come to po­wer,” state president Pon Radhakrishnan said wh­i­le app­ealing to all parties to stren­gthen the BJP to pave the way for good governance.