BJP open to alliances, cherishes old friends: PM Modi in Tamil Nadu

Chennai, Jan 10 Prime Minister Narendra Modi said Thursday the BJP is available to alliances and cherished its old companions, in a clue that it was hoping to reinforce the NDA in Tamil Nadu in front of the Lok Sabha elections 2019.

In a connection with party booth level specialists from five districts in Tamil Nadu through video conferencing, he recalled the "successful coalition politics" introduced by former prime minister late Atal Bihari Vajpayee during the 1990s and said the BJP's entryways were "constantly open".

"...20 years back the visionary leader Atal ji got another culture in Indian politics, that of successful coalition politics. He gave most extreme significance to regional aspirations... BJP has followed the way Atal ji has appeared," Modi said.

The Prime Minister, in the fourth collaboration with the party workers in the state, was reacting to inquiries from a worker whether the BJP would align with the AIADMK, the DMK or Tamil superstar Rajinikanth, who is yet to form his political party.

The BJP had battled the 2014 Lok Sabha elections in Tamil Nadu leading a six-party alliance comprising smaller parties, including the DMDK, the PMK and Vaiko-drove MDMK, and won two of the 39 seats - one each by the saffron party and PMK.

Nonetheless, each of the five gatherings snapped ties with the BJP later.

The prime minister said a solid NDA was "an article of confidence for us".

"It's anything but an impulse. Notwithstanding when the BJP won a solid larger part all alone, we wanted to run the legislature with our partners. We treasure our old companions and our entryways are constantly open for gatherings," Modi said.

Lashing out at the Congress for "ill-treating" regional parties, he stated, "What Atal ji did was in direct complexity to the Congress which has never thought about provincial desires.

"Congress ill-treated regional political parties, aspirations and people because they felt they have the right to be in power," Modi said.

The Prime Minister additionally worried on the importance of connecting with people, saying more than all the political issues, the winning alliance was an alliance with the people.

"The strongest alliance is one with common citizens. More than alliances we need to concentrate on staying connected with people," he said.

BJP workers from Arakkonam, Cuddalore, Krishnagiri, Erode, Cuddalore and Dharmapuri participated in the exercise on Thursday.