Tamil Nadu Elections 2016: BJP rules out alliance with DMK, PWF

Ruling out a poll pact with DMK or the Vaiko-led People's Welfare Front (PWF), BJP on Friday hinted that it was open for an alliance with others, including ruling AIADMK, for the coming Tamil Nadu Assembly elections.

Party's national executive member L Ganesan ruled out joining the two fronts since Congress was a constituent of the DMK-led alliance while the Left parties were part of the PWF. In fact, no parties, including ruling AIADMK, have finalised alliance, he told reporters.

"We have not closed the doors...," he said, when reporters pointed out that AIADMK has not taken a final call on forging electoral partnership and whether BJP was mulling an alliance with it.
Ganesan, however, did not elaborate.

Recently, AIADMK supremo and Tamil Nadu Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa, whose party had faced the 2014 Lok Sabha polls on its own, had said she would take a right decision on alliance in sync with the circumstances, indicating that she was open for a poll pact.

Ganesan said BJP would give priority to seal poll pact with its former allies who were part of the NDA led by it, for the 2014 Lok Sabha polls, indicating that the Vijayakant-led DMDK could be a preferred choice.

BJP, DMK and PWF have been wooing the actor-politician for alliance. BJP's Tamil Nadu in-charge and Union Minister Prakash Javadekar will be visiting the state in the coming days to discuss poll strategies including possibility of alliance, Ganesan said. 

He said discussions would cover party's strategy for all 234 Assembly segments. Polls are scheduled in the state in about two months.