BJP cosies up, Jayalalithaa keeps options open

The BJP is hoping that AIADMK supremo and chief minister J. Jayalalithaa will reciprocate positively to repeated overtures ahead of the 2014 Lok Sabha election.

“There is no election in the near future. The Lok Sabha election is still far away, so there is plenty of time. I can’t say if the alliance will materialise or not… but there is nothing wrong if a tie-up materialises,” said former state BJP president L. Ganesan.

Speaking to this newspaper on Sunday, Mr Ganesan insisted that nothing should be read into the recent meeting in the city between Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha Sushma Swaraj and Ms Jayalalithaa.

“It was merely a courtesy call,” he said.

“It is part of our political culture to greet leaders (after an election victory). Even I had written to Ms Jayalalithaa immediately after she won,” he said, adding that it was Ms Swaraj’s first meeting with Ms Jayalalithaa after the AIADMK general secretary became chief minister.

“Our endeavour is to topple the Congress-led UPA government at the Centre and we will do anything to defeat it. Retrieving black money stashed in foreign banks will be on our agenda,” said BJP state vice-president H. Raja.

The BJP leader said the Tamil Nadu election results signalled a victory over corruption.

Asserting it was too premature to talk about alliances, party president Pon. Radhakrishnan said that for the present the saffron party is focusing on strengthening its base across the country.