Left, BJP to take on Jayalalithaa's AIADMK in local body polls in Tamil Nadu

The Left parties and the BJP are gearing up to take on the AIADMK in the September 18 local body elections with several others including the ruling party's archrival, the DMK, its allies and the Congress choosing to opt out of the polls.

Civic polls are scheduled to be held for the posts of Mayor to Coimbatore, Tuticorin, and Tirunelveli municipal corporations. Elections are also due to posts including that of Municipal Chairpersons and councillors in several other local bodies.

The AIADMK's archirival DMK and its allies including the Manithaneya Makkal Katchi (MMK), Puthiya Tamilagam and Viduthalai Chirthaigal Katchi (VCK), and the Congress have opted out of the polls.

It is now only the BJP and the Left parties, the CPI(M) and the CPI, that have decided to take on the might of the ruling party in the polls. Close on the heels of MDMK's support to the BJP, the DMDK, another ally of the National Democratic Alliance today said it would back the Saffron party in the local body elections.

The saffron party has already got the support of Vaiko-led MDMK and now the DMDK has offered support and the BJP is also likely to get the support of another ally, PMK. The BJP's allies DMDK and MDMK are not fighting polls.

The PMK is likely to make its position clear sooner than later.

"Party workers and functionaries should work for the victory of the BJP in the local body elections," president of DMDK Vijayakanth today told his party functionaries. Smaller parties like the Indiya Jananayaka Katchi (IJK), and Puthiya Neethi Katchi have also pledged support for BJP.

The filing of nominations for the local body polls started on August 28 and the last date for filing papers is September 4.