NEW DELHI, MAY 13: The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and its allies in Tamil Nadu, including the DMK, today decided to "work jointly" for the forthcoming Lok Sabha elections at a meeting with Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee.The two-hour meeting at the Prime Minister's residence was held a day after the Congress and AIADMK began talks in Chennai for forging an alliance in the State for the elections."We have decided to work jointly in the forthcoming Lok Sabha polls", BJP leader and Parliamentary Affairs Minister P R Kumaramangalam told reporters after the meeting, which was attended by the PMK, MDMK AND TRC.Though the DMK has so far not formally entered into an alliance with the BJP-led front in the State, the party's senior leader and former Union minister Murasoli Maran participated in the meeting, held for the first time after the fall of the Vajpayee Government.Asked whether the meeting also decided on seat-sharing among the alliance partners, he said modalities on this and campaign wouldbe worked out later.Besides Vajpayee, the meeting was attended by Home Minister L K Advani, Murasoli Maran (DMK), Vaiko (MDMK), G K Mani (PMK) and Vazhapadi Ramamurthy (TRC).Later, Vaiko told reporters that the parties supporting the BJP-led front had already decided to work together and other modalities would be discussed later.The meeting was part of an exercise launched by the Prime Minister to hold discussions with the BJP's allies in various states.Asked to comment on the DMK joining the BJP-led front, Vaiko said the front leaders had already congratulated the DMK for voting in favour of the confidence motion moved by the Prime Minister.Vaiko said though the DMK had not taken any formal decision on joining hands with the BJP, party leader and Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M Karunanidhi had indicated that his party would work to make Vajpayee prime minister again.He said he would be meeting Karunanidhi next week to impress upon him the need to tie up with the BJP.Vaiko claimed there was"terrible anger'' against AIADMK chief J Jayalalitha and the Congress for pulling down the Vajpayee Government and asserted that the front that would be working to make Vajpayee prime minister would win.Asked about the Tamil Maanila Congress (TMC) stand in the event of a possible Congress-AIADMK alliance, he said, "The TMC is in a dilemma."
