Javadekar meets Captain, says alliance details soon

Asserting that Tamil Nadu people deserved a good administration which it had not got for the last 50 years and that the BJP would provide the same, senior leader and party in-charge for the ensuing Assembly polls Prakash Javadekar on Sunday said he had fruitful discussions with DMDK leader Vijayakanth and a clear picture on alliance would be known by next week. 

Talking to waiting reporters after a nearly hour-long meeting with ‘Captain’, as Vijayakanth is called by his party workers at his residence here, Javadekar said he would brief party president Amit Shah and Prime Minister Narendra Modi about the discussion before announcing the final decision soon. 

Asked whether there was any firm commitment from the DMDK that it would stay in the NDA, he said “We will tell everything next week.” 

With its other allies in the state MDMK and PMK treading their own path and Congress and DMK having already announced their alliance, it is important for the BJP that the DMDK stays in the NDA for the polls, and ensure that it was not isolated in the electoral scene. 

Promising that he would come again after the budget (on Wednesday), Javadekar said all the alliance partners would be presented before the media at a suitable time. “Details in this regard will be worked out in a week’s time,” he added. 

“We are happy that in the last 24 hours, we have practically discussed with many of our allies and the next course of action will be announced later,” he added. 

Observing that people of the state needed a good administration, Javadekar said there was no alternative for them for the last 50 years. “We are here to deliver justice to the Tamil people and we (the BJP-led NDA) want to present that alternative and provide a good administration like what Modi is giving at the Centre,” he added. 

BJP state president Thamizhisai Soundarrajan was also present during the meeting. However, the DMDK respresentatives said BJP leader Prakash Javadeker’s meeting with the party president was a courtasy call and didn’t reveal whether DMDK and BJP have arrived at a consensus over poll alliance.