Positioning itself as a “player in the race for power in Tamil Nadu,” the Bharatiya Janata Party on Wednesday said it was closely watching the situation after former Chief Minister Jayalalithaa’s bail plea was rejected by the Karnataka High Court. The party, however, ruled out demanding President’s rule in the State for now.
Ms. Jayalalithaa is serving a jail term in Bangalore in a corruption case. “A kind of uncertainty is building up in the State. Nobody is certain what will happen, who will lead the government,” BJP general secretary in-charge of Tamil Nadu P. Muralidhar Rao told journalists here.
He said he was hoping that the State government would ensure law and order, failing which, “the law will take its course.”
Indicating the BJP’s intention to build on the 22 per cent vote share it had secured in the Lok Sabha elections, Mr. Rao said the party’s focus was on spreading its influence in the south and the east.“We are there in Karnataka, have a presence in Andhra Pradesh and the next important State is Tamil Nadu. We are planning actively so as to increase our strength.”
