Party opts out of Sattankulam to placate fuming DMK

The BJP today decided not to contest the Assembly by-elections in Sattankulam in Tamil Nadu, sending a signal that it seeks to assuage its a...

The BJP today decided not to contest the Assembly by-elections in Sattankulam in Tamil Nadu, sending a signal that it seeks to assuage its ally, the DMK.

Announcing this, the party’s new spokesperson Pramod Mahajan told reporters that the party took the decision as it wanted to maintain the unity of the NDA.

Asked if he believed the reports of strained relations between the DMK and BJP were true, Mahajan said: ‘‘The DMK-BJP relations are not strained’’.

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Accusing the Tamil Nadu unit of the BJP of wooing the ruling AIADMK, the DMK had decided not to contest the by-election in an attempt to pit the BJP against the AIADMK.

The DMK had even alleged that the BJP had helped the AIADMK in a bypoll in the Muslim-dominated Vaniyambadi Assembly constituency last year where the DMK was also contesting.

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