Chennai:
Tamil Nadu has been an absolute walk-over for
Jayalalithaa, the Chief Minister. Leads show her party, the AIADMK, will get 37 of the state's 39 parliamentary seats, giving her the biggest chunk of the Lok Sabha after the BJP and the Congress.
Jayalalithaa had said yesterday that she "will wait for the results" to decide whether to ally with the BJP, which is headed for a decisive majority with its existing partners in the National Democratic Alliance. (
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Today, she said, "I wish the new Prime Minister well" and stressed that her own party's result is "historic, unparalleled in history" because it has swept the state without an ally.
With the BJP's national coalition poised to cross the 300-seat mark in Parliament, a collaboration with Jayalalithaa is no longer essential for the party, whose prime ministerial candidate,
Narendra Modi, has often referred to his good friendship with the Tamil Nadu chief minister.
Both leaders attended each other's swearing-in ceremonies as head of the governments in Tamil Nadu and Gujarat. In this election campaign, the criticism they exchanged was far milder than the vitriolic personal attacks that became the norm among top leaders in the final weeks of canvassing for votes. (
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Mr Modi and other BJP leaders have said that they will welcome any party that seeks an association with them after the results are known. (
Jayalalithaa Expels Partyman Who Suggested She Would Ally With Modi)