BJP woos DMDK and PMK for 2014 polls

The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) is exploring a possible three- or four-party alliance that includes actor-turned-politician A. Vijayakant-promoted DMDK to fight the 2014 Lok Sabha elections, said party officials here.

The party may also rope in the PMK and look at the MDMK.

"Feelers have been sent by DMDK to the party leadership on a possible alliance to fight the general elections. In a way this makes sense for both the parties," a senior BJP leader, not willing to be named, told IANS.

Explaining the rationale of aligning with DMDK, he said in Vijayakant, the Tamil Nadu people see someone willing to take on the two-major Dravidian parties - AIADMK and DMK.

"The DMDK party has a proven vote share of around 10 percent, similar to BJP. Further, there is an undercurrent in the state in favour of Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi. So in this case, 10+10 will not just make 20 percent but more than that," another BJP leader, not wanting to be identified, told IANS.

If the BJP and DMDK join hands, they will fight the elections on a common minimum programme.

According to him, any alignment of the BJP with the DMK is ruled out owing to the latter's involvement in the 2G telecom scam.

"An alliance with the ruling AIADMK is the first option. It will be an alliance that would sweep most of the 40 seats (39 in Tamil Nadu and one in Puducherry)," he said.

But AIADMK general secretary J. Jayalalithaa has categorically ruled out an alliance with the BJP or the Congress for betraying the interests of the state in the Cauvery river water issue with Karnataka.

So, the second best option for the BJP is aligning with the DMDK and also rope in the PMK which has said that it would not have any truck with the AIADMK or DMK. In addition, the BJP is also looking at Vaiko's MDMK, he said.

With the AIADMK winning the support of the DMDK's seven legislators in the assembly, it is an open war between the two after fighting the 2011 assembly elections together.

"With Modi as the BJP's face, the DMDK will be able to strengthen its base. If the DMDK aligns with the Congress or the DMK, it may have to face erosion in its vote share due to negative factors like 2G, inflation and corruption cases faced by the latter," he said.

"Though PMK and DMDK may not see eye-to-eye, the alliance will be with our party," the BJP leader remarked.

As far as the MDMK is concerned, its equation with the AIADMK and the DMK is unclear, BJP officials added.

"Further, MDMK has around three percent vote share and Vaiko is an asset for any alliance for his campaigning powers and style. This will also be a strong tie-up that the state has not witnessed over the past several decades," a BJP leader said.

When contacted, a senior DMDK leader, declining to be named, told IANS: "The election will be in 2014. Our leader is of the view that alliance talks can be held closer to the election month."

Responding to the BJP's alliance idea, political analyst Gnani Sankaran told IANS: "PMK may go with BJP and other caste outfits may also join it. But DMDK may go with the Congress-DMK combine."

He said the most likely alliance formation in the state would be AIADMK with the two Left parties, MDMK and VCK, while the Congress will team up with the DMK and the DMDK, and the BJP with the PMK and others.