Jaya8217;s support to BJP unconditional

NEW DELHI, March 8: AIADMK leader J Jayalalitha tonight made it clear that her party would extend unconditional support to a BJP-led governm...

NEW DELHI, March 8: AIADMK leader J Jayalalitha tonight made it clear that her party would extend unconditional support to a BJP-led government at the centre but ruled out joining it.

Talking to newsmen shortly after she arrived here from Chennai for discussion with BJP leaders, she said she had left it to her allies about their participation in the BJP coalition but said they had decided to toe her line.

Welcoming the unconditional support extended to it by AIADMK from outside, BJP general secretary Venkaiah Naidu said the leadership would discuss this and other issues tomorrow when they meet at Vajpayee8217;s residence to chalk out the national agenda which was being formulated.

In the interests of stability, the BJP leadership is naturally keen to see that the AIADMK combine, with 30 MPs, and Trinamul, with eight MPs, find representation in government.

Before leaving for Delhi, Jayalalitha said that the AIADMK would strive to ensure that a BJP government completed a full term. This has raised the BJP8217;shopes that she has an open mind and will reconsider her stand.

Jayalalitha has said that she would remain in Delhi until the swearing-in ceremony.

In another positive signal, the Trinamul Congress and the BJP held preliminary talks in Calcutta today on jointly contesting the coming panchayat polls in West Bengal. The BJP has been apprehensive that the unpredictable Mamata Banerjee would, like Chandrababu Naidu, try to remain equidistant from the BJP and the Congress. But today8217;s developments are read as an indication that she intends to further cement the alliance.

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Mamata also said that she would invite Vajpayee 8220;after his swearing-in as prime minister8221; to attend her party8217;s victory rally in Calcutta.

Jayalalitha and Mamata are slated to participate in a meeting of leaders of the BJP and its pre-poll allies to finalise the national agenda. Before the meeting, the two leaders will meet Vajpayee separately.

The BJP today formally severed its alliance with Lakshmi Parvathi, whose Telugu Desam NTRfailed to win a single seat in the elections. 8220;The BJP-TDP Parvathi alliance is over. This chapter is over. If she is not interested to have an understanding, the BJP is also not interested,8221; Venkaiah Niadu said. Reacting to Parvathi8217;s statement that the BJP had no morality, Naidu said the BJP did not require any certificate from her.

Parvathi reacted saying that her party would fight the Assembly elections in the State due next year on its own.

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Stepping up its efforts to get Naidu8217;s support, sources said that the BJP had sent a copy of its proposed national agenda to Hyderabad for his suggestions. Asked about this, TDP sources hedged by saying that Naidu had not yet received such a document.