BJP will not require AIADMK's support for govt formation: BJP

Tiruchirappalli (TN), April 18: With barely a week left for Tamil Nadu to go to the polls, BJP today downplayed AIADMK supremo Jayalalithaa's outbursts against it and asserted that the saffron party might not require the Dravidian outfit's support in government formation.

BJP and its allies will cross the 272-mark and would be in a position to form the government on its own, BJP President Rajnath Singh told reporters here ahead of his hitting the campaign trail in the state.

"We will not require her support because we will be able to form the government on our own," Singh declared. Jayalalithaa, whose party was considered a post-poll ally after the elections, however, has been lashing out at BJP since about a week, besides DMK and Congress.

BJP prime ministerial candidate Narendra Modi during his campaigning had appealed to the electorate to vote for BJP-led alliance and reject both AIADMK and DMK, saying that the two Dravidian parties have been crossing swords against each other and in turn neglecting people's welfare.

At the end of the fifth phase of the polling, the trends have been 'very encouraging', Singh said in an apparent indication of his party putting up a good show. Singh said the BJP-led six party alliance will win at least 20 seats out of 39 in Tamil Nadu. To a question on Sethusamudram issue, he reiterated his party's opposition to the project.

On the issue of a faulty EVM transferring votes to Congress candidate in Sindhudurg district in Maharashtra, he hoped EC will take cognisance and take action. Promising cordial ties with Sri Lanka if elected to form government, he said BJP will also strive for the welfare of Tamils in the island.

PTI