L K Advani attempts to woo Jayalalithaa

NEW DELHI: BJP���s prime ministerial candidate L K Advani, who predicted a realignment of forces on the non-Congress side after polls, said AIADMK could be a potential ally.

"Parties that are not in talks with us right now, but which cannot and will not form an alliance with Congress will ally with BJP," Mr Advani told a TV channel. When asked whether back channel negotiations were on with AIADMK chief Jayalalithaa, Mr Advani replied in affirmative.

There is acknowledgement that NDA cannot come anywhere close to the majority mark and that its power bid will be dependent on the political churning after the polls. Although Ms Jayalalithaa has cast her lot with the Left, PMK and MDMK for the polls, many of these parties are expected to take individual calls after the polls.

In the event of AIADMK managing good numbers, the party is expected to get many suitors. BJP���s hopes must be stemming from the fact that AIADMK had done business with it in the past. BJP had made serious efforts to woo AIADMK to the NDA side. Ms Jayalalithaa, on her part, had hosted Narendra Modi after his latest victory in Gujarat. But she decided to go with a broader alliance as that alone can dent DMK���s hold over the state.

AIADMK leader is unlikely to open her cards before the verdict of the Lok Sabha polls are out. It be recalled that even after offering support to the Vajpayee government in 1998, she made BJP wait for a formal letter.