NDA to add Subramanian Swamy's Janata Party as ally

Seeking to capitalise on the poor performance of Congress in the assembly polls, NDA today decided to add another partner to the alliance by taking in its fold Janata Party headed by Subramanian Swamy.

Seeking to capitalise on the poor performance of Congress in the assembly polls, NDA on Sunday decided to add another partner to the alliance by taking in its fold Janata Party headed by Subramanian Swamy.

The decision to include Janata Party as an ally was taken at a meeting of NDA floor leaders ahead of the Budget session at the residence of BJP veteran LK Advani in New Delhi.

"Swamy was keen to join the alliance and had been meeting the NDA leaders," senior BJP leader S S Ahluwalia told reporters after the meeting.

Leader-of-opposition-in-the-Lok-Sabha-Sushma-Swaraj-BJP-national-president-Nitin-Gadkari-senior-BJP-leader-LK-Advani-and-JD-U-president-Sharad-Pawar-during-a-meeting-of-NDA-floor-leaders-ahead-of-the-Budget-session-in-New-Delhi-HT-Sonu-Mehta

With this addition, the number of NDA allies will rise to six. The other five constituents of the combine are BJP, JD-U, Shiromani Akali Dal, Shiv Sena and Ramdas Athawale-led Republican Party of India (A).

Athawale and Swamy were not part of the meeting as only floor leaders of the NDA were invited. The two parties have no representation in Parliament.