DMK rules out an alliance with BJP, says PM Modi is not Vajpayee

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Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) chief MK Stalin on Friday ruled out the possibility of forming an alliance with the BJP in Tamil Nadu for the coming Lok Sabha elections, saying Prime Minister Narendra Modi is not like late former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee.

In a strong-worded statement, Stalin said: "DMK will never align with the BJP. Prime Minister Modi is not Vajpayee. The alliance under him is not a healthy alliance. It is an irony that Prime Minister Modi compares himself with Vajpayee."

He added that the DMK had only extended support to Vajpayee as "he did not propose or stand by divisive politics."

Stalin's response comes a day after when Prime Minister Modi said on Thursday that the BJP's doors are "always open for parties," sending out a message amid speculation that his party could have poll allies in Tamil Nadu.

"We cherish our old friends and our doors are always open for parties," said Prime Minister Modi, while addressing the BJP's Tamil Nadu workers via video conference on Thursday.

The Prime Minister spoke about the successful coalition government formed by Vajpayee, saying it was a "new culture" in Indian politics, and had also said the BJP has followed the path shown by Vajpayee.

In 2014 Lok Sabha polls, the BJP had formed a six-party alliance comprising smaller parties like DMDK, PMK, and MDMK in Tamil Nadu. The alliance, however, won only two of the 39 Lok Sabha seats at stake-one by BJP and one by PMK. The alliance ended subsequently.

Stalin had recently proposed the name of Congress president Rahul Gandhi as the prime ministerial candidate for the 2019 Lok Sabha elections, saying the Congress chief had the ability to dethrone the "fascist" Modi government.