Elections 2014: DMDK begins poll alliance talks with BJP

Chennai: Main opposition in Assembly, DMDK, on Thursday announced that it will contest the coming Lok Sabha elections in alliance in Tamil Nadu and that it has begun talks with BJP.

Actor-turned politician Vijayakanth-led party said in a brief statement "the DMDK has decided to contest the elections in alliance and has begun talks with BJP."

Reacting to the announcement, BJP state unit President Pon Radhakrishnan said he was happy that the DMDK has come out publicly about the talks it was holding with his party.

BJP has been engaged in hectic parleys with the DMDK and PMK to work out an electoral understanding for the Lok Sabha polls on April 24 to take on the ruling AIADMK and DMK.

Although the BJP had drawn up a rough list of seats with MDMK, it was unable to iron out certain glitches in respect of certain seats with DMDK and PMK, where competing claims exist.

Last week, BJP chief Rajnath Singh authorised the state unit to go ahead and finalise the poll pact with prospective parties.

After holding talks with the DMDK and PMK and after drawing a rough poll pact, BJP leaders including Radhakrishnan and L Ganesan went to Delhi yesterday to get Singh's stamp of approval for the plan.

Radhakrishnan and Ganesan told PTI that the "outcome of the poll pact will be made known sooner than later...probably tonight." Asked about the alliance with PMK, BJP sources said they were hopeful that it would be finalised probably by tomorrow.

DMK and Congress had also wooed the DMDK, which had won 29 seats in the 2011 assembly polls in alliance with AIADMK to emerge the principal opposition.