DMDK to go alone in LS poll, will it hurt the BJP?

Chennai, Feb 3: The Desiya Murpokku Dravida Kazhagam (

) has decided to go alone in the upcoming Lok Sabha

, a

said.

Party leader Vijayakant confirmed the decision saying the party cadres were in favour of contesting the polls alone. He said he had asked the big gathering of cadres on the issue of alliance a couple of times, the latter clearly spoke against it. Vijayakant in this matter recalled his decision to join the AIADMK in the 2011 Tamil Nadu assembly election after consulting the partymen at a meeting in Salem. He said the consquences were not good.

Speaking at the party's state meeting at Ulundurpet in Villupuram district of Tamil Nadu, Vijayakant attacked the AIADMK and Chief Minister Jayalalithaa, saying the state police were being made to serve the ruling AIADMK's whims. The DMDK chief said his party's aim is to win power in the 2016 assembly elections.

The DMDK chief said the decision was taken to honour the cadre's preference

The DMDK passed a number of resolutions at the meeting, the report added. It said the parties ruling at the Centre and states should mend their ways to make the political system better or they would be toppled from power.

The DMDK had contested the last Lok Sabha polls alone as well. They had contested in 39 seats and polled 0.7 per cent votes. The party though did not win in any seat but it had made inroads in the heartland of Pattali Makkal Katchi.

With the DMDK deciding to go alone, it will be interesting to see how the BJP and Congress shape their poll strategy in a state that sends 39 members to the Lok Sabha. On Sunday, the AIADMK entered into an alliance with the Communist Party of India.

The BJP, which is looking for a resurgence across the nation, will need a strong regional alliance in the southern state. But with AIADMK chief Jayalalithaa not giving any indication of allying with the BJP till now, speculation is rife over the electoral strategy of both national parties in Tamil Nadu.

The Congress is desperately seeking an alliance with either of the big two regional parties (AIADMK and DMK) but hasn't been successful so far. The DMK was a part of the Congress-led UPA till the former pulled out last year over the Tamil problem in Sri Lanka.

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