BJP plays down Modi-Jaya meeting

Agencies Posted: Jan 14, 2008 at 1429 hrs
Chennai, January14: The BJP on Monday played down the luncheon meeting between Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi and AIADMK chief Jayalalithaa, describing it as a "meeting between friends" but at the same time did not rule out possibility of an alliance between the two parties for the next Lok Sabha polls.

"Modi, a friend of Jayalalithaa for long, was invited by her for lunch as she could not attend his swearing in. nothing more than that," L Ganesan, BJP's Tamil Nadu unit president told reporters when asked about the meeting.

However, the party did not rule out alliance with the AIADMK.

"Our aim is to get the maximum number of MPs from Tamil Nadu, who will be supporting L K Advani as the Prime Ministerial candidate. We are not averse to alliance with any party, barring the Congress, left and the DMK for the next Lok Sabha polls," he said.

At a recent meeting of BJP state office bearers, the poll strategy was discussed, he said adding that it was decided not have any truck with the DMK as it was "bent upon demolishing" 'Ram Sethu' and its leader M Karunanidhi had "spoken against" Lord Ram. DMK was also responsible for the attack on the BJP's office in Chennai recently, he alleged.