BJP move to strengthen NDA ahead of TN polls

Ahead of assembly polls next year in Tamil Nadu, BJP today gave ample indications of softening and ready to run the extra mile to bring more parties into NDA fold at a time when DMDK chief Vijayakanth is being wooed by opposition parties, including DMK.
While PMK has declared that its leader Anbumani Ramadoss would be its chief ministerial candidate, BJP national general secretary P Muralidhar Rao today indicated that his party may not be averse to accepting such a position of a would-be ally.
"BJP has not decided that as a leader of NDA we should indispensably have the Chief Ministerial (aspirant) position with us," he told reporters here. PMK has a position of "where they are flexible and not flexible," he added.

The BJP stance assumes significance as DMDK too is keen on insisting that its chief Vijayakanth should be chief ministerial candidate of any alliance that he agrees to be part of.
On DMDK being wooed by all parties, Rao said "we are also calling them."
Asked why that party should be invited if it was still part of NDA as claimed by his party, he said "we are calling both NDA and non-NDA parties."

"You have to understand. They may have gone in for certain positioning for better negotiations. There is scope and my answer is there is flexibility (on BJP's part)."

To another question on the same issue, he said "the better person to answer (about DMDK's present position in NDA) is Vijayakanth."
On the overall question of bringing in more parties and adding strength to NDA in Tamil Nadu, he said his party had an open mind, and was flexible so that differences could be ironed out.
"As I have said (earlier) NDA will have more colours, more broad based and will be more stronger," he said.
Asked if his party was trying to rein in caste based social outfits, he said it was part of efforts to broaden support base. "Your question is answered in affirmative, we have incorporated non-political groupings also."

On the handling of floods by the State government, he said it should "come out clean and clear the doubts" on some of the allegations.
"State government has to come out and clear things based on facts, " he said, adding, more Union ministers were set to visit Tamil Nadu.
The top brass has also issued directions to the
leadership down to district and mandal levels that the organisational decisions taken at the Executive meeting be followed up within 21 days.
"The core group of all states will now meet every month in this regard," they said.
Highlighting the organisational work following the Bangaluru meet, they said the party has begun building its office in 178 districts after Shah made the announcement that it will have an office, owned by the organisation, in 578 districts of the country.

It already has offices in 175 districts.