The Hindu : National : BJP gearing up for alliance exercise

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BJP gearing up for alliance exercise

Neena Vyas

So far, no formal proposal has been made to any party
Alliance with AIADMK a distinct possibility

NEW DELHI: A series of meetings will be held between central and State leaders of the Bharatiya Janata Party to identify and finalise new alliances ahead of the 2009 Lok Sabha elections.

Senior leader Sushma Swaraj told The Hindu that the meetings would begin on February 22.

The effort would be to meet leaders of two States every week till the end of the first part of the budget session. During parliamentary sessions, senior leaders would remain in the capital, making it easy to fix the meeting.

The party will look for alliances in the southern States, where it is weak, in Haryana and in Assam.

In the northeast, it has aligned with one regional group or another at different times.

Final decision

In each case the State leadership’s views would be sought in the context of the political situation on the ground.

“Finally, it is the central leaders who will take a view. We may or may not agree with the State leadership’s point of view. Often State units are reluctant to forge alliances as there are pressures from would-be candidates who do not like the idea of a large number of seats being given away to a partner,” Ms. Swaraj said.

So far, no formal proposal has been made to any new party (that is a party which is not already part of the National Democratic Alliance). Party leaders are not willing to name any “possible” partner at the moment, but privately they point out that a pre-poll alliance with the All-India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam is a distinct possibility given the recent positive vibes between leaders of the BJP and the AIADMK. In Assam, the BJP has its eye on the Asom Gana Parishad and in Haryana on either the Indian National Lok Dal of Om Prakash Chautala or the new outfit headed by the former Congress Chief Minister Bhajan Lal.

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