BJP wants to contest as NDA in 2016 Tamil Nadu polls

COIMBATORE: The BJP desires to contest next year's Assembly polls in Tamil Nadu as part of the NDA, Union Minister Pon Radhakrishnan today said, days after he had favoured the return of Jayalalithaa as the chief minister. COIMBATORE: The BJP desires to contest next year's Assembly polls in Tamil Nadu as part of the NDA, Union Minister Pon Radhakrishnan today said, days after he had favoured the return of Jayalalithaa as the chief minister.

Talking to reporters here on the sidelines of Swachh Bharat Abhiyan, Radhakrishnan said it was the desire of the state unit to contest as NDA and capture power in the state. There were no differences of opinion among NDA allies, he claimed.

Asked about contesting the Radhakrishnan Nagar constituency in Chennai which was vacated by an AIADMK MLA yesterday, he said it would be decided by the party's local unit.

His remarks come three days after, in an apparent indication of softening of stance towards AIADMK, he had said the state's economy would do well if Jayalalithaa returns as Chief Minister. BJP had been critical of AIADMK and had alleged corruption in governance till then.

Tamil Nadu Congress President E V K S Elangovan had recently claimed that there was a change in BJP's attitude towards AIADMK chief Jayalalithaa and said he expected the two parties to tie-up for next year's assembly elections.

To a question on the Land Bill, Radhakrishnan said the bill was actually brought about in 1894 and after various amendments, Congress government brought it in 2013. Even NDA government has made some amendments and presented it before Parliament, he said.

The opposition parties were opposing the bill for the sake of opposing it, he said, and expressed confidence that the bill would be passed.