I am ready for larger role in national politics: Jayalalithaa

New Delhi, June 30 (UNI) Two weeks after raising political temperatures in Delhi by making a determined but unsuccessful attempt to prop President Kalam for a second term, J Jayalalithaa has made it clear that she is ready for a larger role in national politics.

In an exclusive interview to TIMES NOW, the United National Progressive Alliance (UNPA) leader and AIADMK chief said the UNPA and the Left parties can "come together in the future".

Ms Jayalalithaa said though she is not talking to the Left leaders, other leaders of the UNPA "are in touch with the Left.'' Asked if the Left and UNPA can come together in a political formation at the Centre, Ms Jayalalithaa said, ''It is certainly possible for the Left parties and the UNPA to come together at the Centre, why not?" Hinting that a UNPA-Left combine would be more of a natural alliance than the UPA-Left combine, she said by supporting the UPA, "the Left is not being true to its ideology, not practising what they preach, and not trying to implement their own policies today." Also clear in the interview is the fact that Ms Jayalalithaa is more than ready to spend more time now on national politics and is ready for a role beyond Tamil Nadu, the television news channel said in a press note.

The enigmatic politician, who is clearly the most visible face of the UNPA, denied she is trying to groom herself for a national role, saying that her "role at the national level will now evolve with time".

When pushed on the subject further, she said, "I do feel that this is a time when regional parties, regional forces, have a decisive role to play at the Centre, at the national level and central politics." This is the first time ever that Ms Jayalalithaa, who is very measured in her political comments, has made it clear that she is more than ready to take on a role in New Delhi. When asked whether she will now pay more attention to national politics she said, "Only time will tell what my role will be, but as far as I am concerned, I have no other interests in life than to serve the nation. I have no family, I have no personal interests, so I am here to serve the nation. As to how and in what capacity, only time will tell. But I have a vision for this country. And my vision, which I hope will be a reality in my lifetime, is that India should become a global superpower. And I hope to see this achieved in my lifetime. I will do whatever I can to achieve this goal." Asked whether the slew of legal cases and corruption charges against her will make it difficult for her to carve out a role in New Delhi she said she will fight back every charge made against her, and she has "been acquitted, as not guilty in 12 cases, including the case for which I was put in jail for a month." Ms Jayalalithaa also said she can be "flexible" enough when required to survive the rough and tumble of coalition politics.

Asked if her inability to compromise could be her weak spot as she gets more active in national politics she said, "I am a versatile person who can adapt myself to changing circumstances. I am tough, otherwise I would not have reached the position where I have reached today. But at the same time, I am flexible. I am capable of flexibility" In the interview, Ms Jayalalithaa also made it clear that the UNPA will not back NDA candidate Bhairon Singh Shekhawat for the presidency, making the current Vice President's campaign almost toothless.

She said when she called Dr Kalam for the first time, he said he did not want to contest (as opposed to news reports that he is open to contest). She made it clear that backing NDA candidate Mr Shekhawat was almost an impossibility.

Asked if the UNPA will abstain from the presidential contest, she said, "There may be no other alternative for us at this point of time" but quickly followed it up by saying that, "this is a collective decision (of the UNPA)." "There has been no further development since we made it clear that we will not back a candidate put up by the UPA or the NDA so of course we will stay with that". The decision by the UNPA to abstain from the Presidential elections makes the NDA's Presidential candidate virtually redundant in the July 19 elections.

Ms Jayalalithaa's decision to plunge into national politics is significant, as is the public timing of this interview, since she is believed to be pitting herself against Congress President Sonia Gandhi at the national level, TIMES NOW said.

"Sixty years since we won our independence, will we place India at the feet of a foreign power, to put it more specifically at the feet of a foreigner, a foreign woman?" she asked.

When reminded that Ms Gandhi had shunned the prime ministership she said, "It is an unhealthy situation, everyone knows she is the power behind the throne. This could not happen anywhere else in the world." Having earlier described UPA's Presidential candidate Pratibha Patil as "a joke on the nation played by Sonia Gandhi" she said, "Sonia Gandhi now wants to remote control both the prime minister and the President." UNI