Ball is in AIADMK court, says Advani on tie-up

BJP leader L K Advani on Monday hinted that a post-poll alignment with AIADMK was possible as the prevailing situation might require such tie-ups to muster sufficient numbers to form a government.

"It is for them to decide. I simply mentioned about it," Advani told reporters, when asked about his reported comment on Sunday that his emissaries were in touch with AIADMK chief Jayalalithaa on the post-poll tie-up.

Recalling that parties like TDP had joined the NDA after elections in 1999, he said "these are matters about which parties have to themselves take a decision".

Observing that in the current situation a government could be formed only through a post-election alliance, BJP's prime ministerial candidate added that there are parties who are not committed towards any political formation.

Dubbing the Third Front "irrelevant", he said it was clear that no government could be formed in New Delhi without the support of either BJP or Congress.

As far as the BJP was concerned, it has proved its ability in running a coalition successfully while the Congress-led UPA is disintegrating with partners deserting it one after another, he said.

Continuing with his offensive against Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, Advani said his charge against Singh has been that he has "devalued" the high office by allowing "super executive powers" to rule over it.

Advani said "good governance, development and security" are the main planks of the NDA.

But as far as the 'mandir' issue is concerned, it has always been the BJP's stand that a grand Ram temple should be built, Advani said.

He said if the NDA was voted to power, it would take strong steps to bring back huge sums illegally stashed away in banks in Switzerland and other tax havens.

Asked if he was targetting the Congress by raking up the issue of money deposited in Swiss banks, he said "this is a question that should be put to Congress".

"Their contention had been that it would be legally impossible to get back the money from Swiss banks. But in the backdrop of the global recession, European countries like Germany and France have shown that the money siphoned off to the Swiss banks can be retrieved, he said.

On the charge that BJP had copied several points from the Congress manifesto, he said "if that is the case then they (Congress) should be happy about it, and why should they complain".